Influence

To be honest, some recent things in my life have brought this thought to light again. The understanding that what we are exposed to, influences us. Now, there is a type of pride that will whisper to us and encourage us telling the lie, "It doesn't affect me, I don't care about those things." In the end, that's a load of male bovine excrement. As people, we take pride in our interests. To make them out to be special, as if our ideas are original. When in reality, our interests are usually more associated with what we feel comfortable with, rather than how our personalities react with them. We're comfortable with things we are used to. Where do these ideas come from? Do they just randomly pop up in our heads? No, that would be an lazy, albeit easy way to describe it. All of the resources we use for thinking were learned. We can only learn what we are exposed to. and they can only enter into our thoughts through our senses. Now, before I dive off into philosophical tangents that will waste everyone's time, just because I enjoy messing with people in cerebral ways, I'll catch myself. The main point is that we need to be aware of the effects of who and what we surround ourselves with. If most of our life includes people who don't know the Lord, their behaviors and opinions will 'seep in' as it were. If we surround ourselves with things of this world: luxuries, media, entertainment, stories, carnality etc., they will become things we treasure. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Now, these things are always going to be around us. We could all try to be recluses, and find a far away mountain to reside, but nothing would change. I have had that thought just as many times as everyone else, wanting to be physically separated from the things of this world. As followers of Christ though, there is a better way. We all have cups, and we fill it with whatever we surround ourselves with. What if, instead of trying to empty these cups by avoiding influences or becoming stagnant by just letting them continue to fill with the influences of this world, we displaced this with a much heavier liquid? For example, the word of God, the people of like minded faith, the regard for doing the will of God. Imagine if we surrounded ourselves with such things?
At the same time I write this, it is my own struggle, just as anyone else's. I've gone the cowardly way of the recluse for a good while. Whether it is this or the foolish way of investing in this world, the relief comes from the Lord. The big first step is to recognize within ourselves the evidence of what we are treasuring. I'm not questioning if we think on the things of God at all, but how often compared to everything else, is he present? That is evidence that we need to review what is around us. It is plainly put in Proverbs 20:11 "Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right." and once we find it, it should be discerned whether or not they/it should be removed(Matt 5:29-30)

God understands us far better than we understand ourselves, so it is also of great value that we might better know ourselves and others when we invest in his word. Proverbs 20:5 NIV "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out."

-Be aware of the influences around us
-Be mindful and honest of how they affect us
-Correct them in the will of God