Living a Pure LifeSample

Guard your heart because that’s where it starts.

The past two days, we’ve talked about how culture has some upside down views about purity and love. But today, let’s think about what you’re putting in front of you. Are the influences around you helping you become more like Jesus or less like Him?

It’s up to us to filter out the wrong messages that hurt us and invite in the right kind of messages that help us live a pure life.

Filters are powerful. The right kind of filter will purify our water and make it safe and clean to drink. In the same way, we need the right kind of filters in place to help us decide what we’ll watch, how we’ll act, and who we’ll spend time with. This matters a lot because we’ll be like what we see.

If you’re constantly watching disrespectful YouTubers, you’ll probably start mouthing off to your mom—which probably won’t end well for you. If you hang around people who say inappropriate words, you’ll probably start copying them. But, if you filter out those kinds of influences and hang out with people who honor their parents and use their words to encourage others, you’ll probably start being more obedient and encouraging, too.

We become like what we see, and we become like who we spend time with. So, are you happy with the filters you have in place? When you think about the kinds of things you say, the things you see, and the people you’re with—are they pointing you in a good direction, or should you find some new filters?

In Proverbs 4:23, it says, “Above all else, guard your heart.” Anytime the Bible says “above all else” you should probably pay attention to what comes next. It’s so true, because what you fill your heart with—the videos you watch, the friends you have, the habits you form—determines what comes out of your mouth, what you do, and ultimately, who you become.

So, find the right filters. Guard your heart, because that’s where it starts. To start finding the right filters, pray and ask God to give you a pure heart and to show you which influences help you and which ones hurt you. You can filter out the wrong influences and filter in the right ones so that you can be more like Jesus and start living a pure life. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about how other people’s filters for you might be a bigger blessing than you think.