Mind control

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  –Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
 
The average American is exposed to an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements each day. Add to that the number of headlines, emails, text messages, phone calls, and pieces of mail that demand our attention and you’ll see we have a lot of competition for head space. I have a handful of people and communication channels I try and stay tuned into. Most of the rest is noise, and much of it is highly toxic.
 
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  –Romans 8:6 (NIV)
 
It’s important then, to put some filters in place. Intentionally turning off the noise, or at least limiting our exposure is a good idea, but not always feasible, especially if we have commitments that require us to be online and accessible. More than that, we need our sense of reality to be grounded in something true – a standard by which new inputs can be measured, verified, and understood.
 
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.  –Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
 
Too often, the ideas and products being sold are coming from sources that do not have our best interests at heart. A steady diet of these stimuli has more influence on our attitudes and belief systems than we would dare admit. The effect is subtle, but very real. After a while, we can find ourselves thinking things, wanting things, and buying things we would never have imagined. Only now they seem normal.
 
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  –Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)
 
As the attitudes shift, our priorities change, and thus our behaviors. The good that once seemed important fades. The fad of the moment and the words of the skilled logician take precedence. Soul care gets pushed out by the latest version of self-care.
 
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.  –James 4:17 (NIV)
 
It’s been said that Now shouts louder, but Later lasts longer. Pressing pause on the urgent and focusing on the eternal and its call for a priority reset takes effort, but the investment is worth it. In fact, it is the only way back to sanity. Of the thousands of voices vying for control our minds, we must decide which ones we’ll listen to. This is not an area where we can take the default.
 
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  –Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
 
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”  –attributed to Lao Tzu (ancient Chinese philosopher)