Pure living
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. Titus 1:15
Pure or defiled? What do you choose? Defiled comes naturally, but pure comes supernaturally. How does that work? If you choose to casually walk through life without filtering the input you are subject to each day, your thoughts and life will become defiled. No matter how much you try to keep it clean, a defiled/unclean life will be the default. Pure life comes from pure thoughts and pure heart, but how do you keep a pure heart in a defiled world?
The key is in what you are listening to and looking at each day. In today’s passage, Paul tells Titus that if you listen to lies over truth, you will become defiled and unbelieving. That means, whatever you are listening to, whether it is media or others around you, that is directing your thinking and your life. Additionally, defiling your heart.
In contrast, if you intentionally filter, purge out and overlay these thoughts with the Word of God, you can purify or cleanse your heart and the way you think. Let me give you an example. If by listening to the news and the fear/anxiety of people’s imagination around you, fear begins to grip your heart, their fears/anxieties are polluting or poisoning your heart and thoughts. You will become afraid of rioting, looting and pandemic or whatever the latest crisis is being announced. You allow and purposefully turn to these sources as your source for what is going on in the world . You feel you must be informed on what is going on around you and be concerned that it doesn’t come near you. This is corrupted thinking and penetrates to your core. Like a computer that downloads corrupted files whether programed or not, it damages the entire system.
However, there is good news. You can purposefully override these issues and block them from getting to your core, simply by renewing your mind and heart with the Words that God gave you. For instance, if you hear of evils being done in your neighborhood or town, you cast down those thoughts of fear by speaking “God hasn’t give me a spirit of fear, He gave me His Spirit of love, power and a sound/fixed on Him mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7) If you hear there is a pandemic and people are dying, you override and take authority over that thought with “No evil befalls me, neither does any plague come near my house.” (Psalms 91)
I hope you get the point. Whatever thoughts, news or words that come to you through your ears or thinking, you can keep them from corrupting your spirit by God’s Words. Implant the seed of the Word of God in your mind and heart continuously and pure living will grow like a beautiful garden.
Today I want to encourage you to put together a list of scriptures you can turn to when any news or gossip tries to steal your peace. Review them often until you believe what God says over what the world does. Let the peace of God be your gauge for pure living. When peace is missing, recognize that you need more of God’s Word, not more of the world’s deception.
Today’s scripture reading: Titus 1: 10-16
The Daily Dose 