Happy Transparent Tuesday!

I remember when I was a kid being confused by the saying, “you are what you eat”. It didn’t make any sense to me, how am I this bowl of mac n’ cheese and saltine crackers? Such tough questions for kids to ponder. 🙂

Now as an adult of course I understand it. What you consume is in direct correlation with how much energy you have, whether or not you can stay alert through the day without the need for caffeine, how loose (or tight) your clothes become and so on and so on.

But don’t worry, this isn’t a lesson in nutrition, well not food nutrition.

These past several months as my relationship with God has deepened I am noticing I am convicted so much easier about the things that our culture says is OK. Certain tv shows, movies, books, what different musicians sing about on the radio that gets masked by a catchy beat that instantly puts you in a good mood.

This may make me sound like a total weirdo or loser to some, but these different subtleties now hurt me, deep down in my soul, I really can’t explain except it but I know it’s the Holy Spirit changing my heart. Changing it for the better.

Image by Emily Lockard Furry at our vow renewal in California 2012!

I recently read “Soul Detox” by Craig Groeschel, and in the introduction he says,”If you’re a Christian wouldn’t you agree there has to be a line of right and wrong somwhere? A way to discern what pleases God and moves us closer to Him instead of farther away? And can we trust our sensibilities to know what’s truly best for us?”

My answer is yes, there does have to be a line. I now catch myself checking the back of movie boxes to see why a movie is rated the way it is, and I no longer care to watch rated R movies simply because I know there won’t be anything “nourishing” for my mind and heart.

Groeschel then goes on to say, “everything that we allow into our minds, hearts, and lives–everything we spend our time and money on–has an impact on how we grow, or don’t grow, spiritually.”

I am not going to list off all the tv shows I no longer watch (even though I thought they were the BEST shows ever and I never missed a single new episode), the books I don’t feel the need to read even though “everyone else is”, or songs or singers I automatically turn off. It’s not my place to tell anyone what they should or should not watch, listen to, or read, or to pass any judgement on those who may see nothing wrong with what our culture says is good.

But, I will encourage you (if you want to!) to analyze what you let enter your hearts and minds. Is it giving you nourishment or is it slowly killing you?

If we monitor what we eat because we want to watch our figure, why wouldn’t we pay more careful attention to what we are exposed to? After all, what you put in, you get out.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” 

Proverbs 4:23 

I am now in airport off to the sweet state of Georgia for the Pursuit 31 conference with over 100 other God lovin’ ladies! See y’all on the flip side!

xoxo, Tamara