TAKING IT CAPTIVE

There's a lot of junk buzzing around in my head. Ungodly junk. I read the Rolling Stone interview of John Mayer and was very disappointed with his wandering mind. He openly talks about matters that I wouldn't repeat here - yet it's on the public magazine rack. And unfortunately, on my mind. I'm disappointed because some of his music is quite good. Perhaps he wants to be "the bad boy of Rock". I don't know. I just know what I read.

I rarely watch music videos because most(mainstream)videos are basically pornography for music fans.Movies that are rated PG are generally acceptable to me. Seemingly good stories, but even so, once in a while there's a scene that leaves me feeling - "Aw I wish they had skipped that part".

I went to see Sherlock Holmes the other night. I went with a friend who I wanted to spend time with. It was more about being with my friend than the movie. But even with a PG rating, the amount of violence was over my threshold. I found myself looking at my feet for half the movie.

Yesterday a pastor friend who I've asked to "pour into me", reminded me of the verse to "take every thought captive". (2 Cor 10:5) The notes in the margin of my Bible refer to strongholds and anything opposing God's will, warfare in the mind, against arrogant and rebellious ideas.

I know we can't walk around with blinders on or we'll be clueless about current events.

Movies are a tough call because there are so many justifications. "The plot outweighs the bad stuff". Or "good conquers evil in the end so all the evil stuff shouldn't bother you". (I disagree with those validations, by the way.)

I'll confess - this "stuff" clogs up my head. I don't always think clearly and I don't always make the best choices. And I surely don't always say the right things.

The key, I think, to taking every thought captive, is that I do a better job at discerning what's good and what isn't, and only keeping the parts that are good and not carrying around in my mind the stuff that is garbage. Coz it's the garbage that builds up and I find myself desensitized from the will of God.