Be careful what you let in.

I really like these verses that are presented on the "Our Daily Journey" blog, which can be found here.

In Proverbs we find some instruction can make us spiritually healthy (Proverbs 4:23):

Keep your mouth right (Proverbs 4:24). Our Lord says, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say” (Matthew 12:34-37). Our words should be godly (2 Timothy 2:16), wholesome and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29), gracious and attractive (Colossians 4:6). This means speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Keep your eyes right (Proverbs 4:25). The eyes are the most influential parts of the body. What the eyes see, the heart wants (Genesis 3:6; Matthew 5:28). Keeping our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2) will overcome our “craving for everything we see” (1 John 2:16).

Keep your ears right (Proverbs 4:20-22, 5:1-2). Listen carefully to God’s Word. Let God’s Word penetrate deep into your heart (Proverbs 5:21), and you will live (Proverbs 4:4). For God’s words are “life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body” (Proverbs 4:22 NIV; John 6:68).

Keep your feet right (Proverbs 4:26-27). Be careful where you walk (Proverbs 4:11-15), with whom you walk (Proverbs 2:20), and how you walk (Jeremiah 6:16). Walk as Jesus did (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6), led by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25), in light (1 John 1:7), in love, in obedience (2 John 1:6), and in truth (3 John 1:3-4).

Choose to avoid the risks that lead to spiritual sickness. Use your mouth, eyes, ears, and feet to pursue a healthy lifestyle in Jesus today.

Just reading this is so encouraging and inspiring to live how Jesus lived.  In a world surrounded and plagued with sin and evil, we need to protect ourselves and be cautious what we let inside.  Evils of the world can seep in without us noticing and before long, we are blind to the sin and wrongdoings in our lives.  Similarly, we often justify our actions and what goes on in our lives.  We compare ourselves to others and then gauge how good of a Christian we are based off of other people.  But we need to remind ourselves that Jesus is the standard.. not our friends, family, pastors, etc.

We need to stay fixed on God and not let other people influence us and sway us to do something that our hearts wouldn't normally agree with.  The second we conform to the world, the second we surrender to sin and reject God.

I pray that we may be guarded and that God may provide us the strength to carry on and flee from temptation.

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"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Deut. 6.