The 10 Second Tidy.

This week we are looking at Philippians 4:8.

Finally, brothers, 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.

Yesterday we looked at 'whatever is right' and today we will focus on 'whatever is pure'.

One of the lessons I learned early on in life was 'not to be a litterbug'. It seems I knew from a young age that it was inappropriate to throw my trash out the car window and in a home everything has a place. As an adult I will have to admit one of my 'hang ups' is a 'littered' house. Although I have relaxed a bit in my older age, having a picked up house enables me to focus on other tasks. In our house we have what is called the '10 second tidy'.

A '10 second tidy' is simply checking every room in the house to make sure that things are in their proper place. Once my 10 second tidy is completed, I have the next 6 hours (before the kids get home from school) to focus on my tasks at hand. Then the 10 second tidy starts all over again between 3:30 and bedtime and in the summer, well, it is an ongoing process! :-)

Like our houses can get cluttered with 'stuff', so can our minds become clogged with impurity. Our world brings so much into our minds consciously and unconsciously that we can be come stagnant in our thinking. A steady focus on impure thoughts will send our lives out of control.

Remember in week 1 when we looked at David and how he focused on Bathsheba's beauty which then spiraled into a web of lies and a murder?

Today I want you to ponder on the following 8 sources of input.

What do you watch on television?

What do you listen to on the radio?

What type of music do you prefer?

What books are you reading?

What magazines do you look at?

What types of movies do you watch?

What do you view on the Internet?

While media can be a source of information for our good, it is important for you to evaluate what you are taking in by God's standards. While some may say, I am only viewing this for entertainment purposes. I would challenge to ask you why do you want to be entertained by impure, violent, or corrupt things?

I am the first to admit that I can and have gotten easily caught up in reality TV for the entertainment of watching people back stab, gossip, and hurt others. I have watched movies with nudity, violence, and drug use. I am the first to grab the tabloid magazines at the grocery check out counter and read the lies and gossip. However as I walk closer to Christ my sensitivity to those forms of media becomes greater and greater. While a few years ago, I would have thought nothing of it. Now I feel a knot in my stomach or an ache in my heart that may be this is not what God wants me to view, read, or listen to. Do I always listen to that nudge? No. However do I seek those media sources less and less. YES!

Websters defines pure as free from anything that taints, impairs, or infects.

Scriptures definition of pure comes from James 1:27.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Proverbs 15:26 shares that The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

So while every day my house needs several 10 second tidys, so does my mind need 10 second tidys throughout the day.

A 10 second tidy can be our best action to monitor the purity of our thoughts.

Have you done yours today?

Blessings,

Jill