We’d all love to believe that we are our own thinkers; that we form our opinions based on what we want, but the fact is that our minds and judgments are controlled by what they are fed. Be it friends, family, TV, music and even faith; we are constantly being fed and influenced by some sort of information.
You start a new job and they tell you to be careful of John who sits in the corner, so your mind automatically makes you steer clear of John every time you see him.
You hear on the news that there has been a robbery in your area and so your mind tells you to buy new locks for your front door.
Success in sales relies heavily on this. The retailor convinces you that his product is amazing and then you buy it because your mind convinces you that you cannot live without it.
Whilst buying a new product or securing your house may be harmless, there are other things that you hear and see which can negatively impact your mind and consequently your faith. A prime example is music: the catchy beat gets your attention and you start to sing along – not paying attention to the degrading, negative and ungodly lyrics that are inviting negativity into your life.
You may even think that what you are listening to is harmless, but that negativity can lay dormant in the back of your mind, until the day it comes out.
Think of a toilet: a closed off area that one enters alone, knowing that nothing good gets deposited in there! Sorry to make your mind wander to such a place but that same ‘ewww’ that you felt whilst thinking about a toilet, is the same disgust that I want you to think about regarding all the negativity that Satan brings to you on a daily basis. That way, you will never allow it to fester in your mind. You will refuse it, reject it and replace it with Godly thoughts and ideas.
So yes, in a way, you are in control of your thoughts, it’s you who decides what to let into your mind and what to flush away. “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
Be careful what you listen to. Don’t allow Satan to use your mind as his toilet.
May the God of the Bible bless you.
Bishop Joshua Fonseca
