Out With the Bad, In With the Good

“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.”  — Philippians 4:8

A person’s physical well-being depends as much on what he cuts out of his diet as much what he puts in it.  Avoiding fatty foods will not make a person healthy if he does not also eat nutritious foods.  In other words, it’s not just what you don’t do that matters, but also what you do.

Do we tend after our spiritual health in the same way?  Perhaps we equate religiousity with a life of “thou shalt nots.”  Avoidance of ungodliness is important to living a God-honoring life, but that is just half the equation.   The other half is filling up on godliness.  The two go hand-in-hand.  The more our minds are preoccupied with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, the less prone we are to indulge in thoughts that are deceitful, dishonorable, misguided, destructive, shameful, self-defeating, and undignified.  A steady diet of God’s goodness strengthens the spirit.  Out with the bad and in with the good!