As it becomes more complicated on a daily basis to monitor the input of the world into our own minds, as well as our children’s, I am comforted by the recollection of a sermon I heard Dr. Adrian Rogers preach a few years before his death.  He reminded us that moral impurity comes not from what is going into us but from what is coming out, as Jesus said.  (See Matthew 15:11, Mark 7:15)

Dr. Rogers explained with tremendous articulation that if we are who we should be on the inside, spiritually, we can experience anything and our reaction will be a Christ-like response.  He gave the example of seeing the public nudity of a beautiful woman and mused that Jesus would seek clothes for the poor unfortunate soul and would Himself cover the person, and would then likely pray over that one, and possibly attempt to convert that fellow human being to The Faith, all of this rather than lusting after the poverty-stricken creature; reasoning that though endowed with physical beauty, she was indeed spiritually poor and naked.  (See  Revelation 3:17)

I have come to the conclusion that we should place our emphasis on what is right rather than on what is wrong.  This is the way to become who we should be on the inside.  It is the way to a pure heart.  Certainly, we should be aware of and we should help others to notice what is wrong, and we should be initiators of change as well, but our emphasis, our priority should be to know and to focus on what is right.  The good should be given preeminence in our hearts and minds.  We should be learning and teaching what is excellent and praiseworthy.  We should always be wearing our clothing, our spiritual armor.  If this were more often the case, there may be less wrong to confront and to manage.  (See Ephesians 6:10-10, Philippians 4:8)

Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.