What's in Your Can?

Philippians 4:8 reads, "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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."





The question of today is, "What's in your can?" and by can, I mean, your heart.  Your heart is what I am going to relate to a garbage can... I know you are like how can something that sustains life and hold our emotions be like a garbage can - well it's like this:  When you lift the lid of the garbage can and you throw stuff away, what are you putting in the can? Hopefully garbage. Things that are broken, old, mildew, ruined, spoiled, not pleasing or tasty.  The "stuff" has lost its luster and "bling."  When you open the garbage can again, the "yucky stuff" doesn't just magically get put back together and look spic spanking new again... rather, you probably after a few days would have a horrific odor of mixed old rotten food (hence why my garbage goes out daily).  We can think of our heart like a garbage can in the sense of whatever you are placing in your heart, is what is going to come out of it when you open your heart.


If we listen to music that talks about having sex, then when emotions are rising and a girl and guy meet up, the heat rises and those lyrics are going through their mind and before she knows it, its playing out in her life.  Or if you continue to say negative, nasty things about yourself in your  mind, when someone compliments you - out pours those words of negativity.  Let's even consider what we are watching... when you are watching sitcoms, videos and programs that are impure, vulgar from what is being done to what is being said, what you are seeing and hearing can become what you are thinking then saying.

I refer back to what the Bible says in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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."


What is your moral absolute?
 How do you decide it?
 How do you measure it?
What's your objective standard to decide what is right and what is wrong? 


Do you go by what you are told by other people, your environment, peers, television shows or do you go by what the unchangeable truth is that lies in the Bible?  So often we can tell ourselves that what we are watching, saying or doing is okay and can twist the truth to fit how we feel. Our actions then become subjective to what we are feeling rather than reactive to what we know is truth.  The one thing that we know - no matter what happens in every circumstance there is an answer that holds the truth and that my friend is in the Bible.  God's way will never lead you astray, it won't corrupt your mind or shackle your feet.  No, the devil , your enemy, who is roaming like a roaring lion searching for someone to devour has deceived people today (just like Eve way back in the  book of Genesis) to think that what they watch and hear doesn't affect their life - but that my friend is a lie.  It does!  By not filling your life with things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable or excellent , your choices will shackle your feet, hold you back, lead you astray where you may waiver on and off the path that God has laid out before you.


Press forward friends, persevere, work out daily your in your spiritual life to do what is right!  Sometimes the hardest choice now makes the rest of your life easy, but the easy choices now can make your life so much more difficult.  How do you want to go on?   Remember, no matter where you are and what tight spot you are in, there is always a turn called an 180 degree, that you can make and start doing what His Word says is right! God is with you! 

Remember: G.I.G.O   (Garbage In, Garbage Out)  


Feed your spirit man what is good, what is healthy, that which produces life!