Spiritual pollution

Proverbs 4:20-27 (New Living Translation)

20 Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. 21 Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, 22 for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. 27 Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Many of us have had to deal with what I like to call spiritual pollution; where our environment which is not conducive to our Christian culture, is able to penetrate into our spirits and we act on these behaviors that were not intentionally learnt.  At times we are the ones that create the environment by what we watch and what we listen to, the friends that we lime with particularly and the topics that come up. You know the conversations that take our sanctified mind into the crevices of perversity on a one way ticket and even for a seasoned Christian it isn’t easy to get out.  Our friends may respect our Christianity but if they talk about their sex-capades and we don’t make a stand they would talk about anything they want around us.

I remembered some time ago I was in class studying at college and the lecturer had stepped out, the class separated into their cliques and I sat alone. I was reading, when an interrogation of one of the guys about his weekend. Even though I was reading I could still hear everything (partially because I was still in earshot) of how he outlined what he and his companion did for four days while they were on vacation. I was in awe as he listed out the things they did and how they did it and my imagination started. Then it occurred to me that I was not actually reading the text book but my attention was now focused on what he was saying. When I caught myself I had imagined everything that was described and the toxins of lust was penetrating my spirit, polluting it.

Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully.

This admonition was to pay attention , to listen carefully, we are aware that hearing is not enough to get the message that is being communicated, listening carefully would enable the listener to grasp the message and to consider the implications and application to their lives. Many of us could relate to this and other situation of being drawn into the conversation without saying a word. We become involved because of active listening, which causes us to imagine the explanations while listening to their filthy lifestyle.

Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.

Focusing on the message being delivered would penetrate deep within your heart and I believe even into your soul. The words which you listen to, what you allow to penetrate your heart can bring life to you and I believe that just as words can bring life to your heart and soul it can also bring death. I was reminded that as a man thinks so is he, so when I allowed my thoughts to stray and stretch to what was being said I was allowing my heart to be polluted. My guard was down; I wasn’t expecting to hear such things in school about someone’s sex escapades, I honestly was trying to read.

Then I pondered about how we as Christians sit and may not purposely listen to the conversation or of unsaved peers but the reality is that if we can hear it, it would seep into our spirits. Philippians 4:8 explains this by reprimanding us that our thoughts should be pure, honorable, true and we should think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. In order for us to speak the good news of Jesus Christ our thoughts must be pure and this is determined by what is in us already Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

We can expect that we could listen to things that in no way glorify God and expect to say things that glorify His name, that is as if my feet want to go to the left and my body wants to go the right, not possible! You only get out what you put in, simple.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.

Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

That spells it out, what we listen to whether it be music or conversations of persons who are not living the lifestyle pleasing to God, we are responsible for our reaction to the situation. I decided to walk away for Spiritual pollution, how would you keep your spirit pure?

Written by :

cherry davis

 

Features - Opinion