What Goes In Must Come Out

2 days a week I babysit a beautiful little baby girl.  She is THE most adorable baby, and the days she spends at our house are definitely some of our favorite.  There are, however, fleeting moments when she's with me that I'm reminded about some of the less than glamorous parts of being a mom to a baby.

Like the fact that at least once a day when I change her diaper I get a lovely sneak peak at what she ate for dinner yesterday.

Gross.  I know, I'm sorry!  But this little analogy is just too right on to ignore.

Here is the little rule of life that we know is true no matter what age you are:  what goes in, must come out.  It isn't surprising when a toddler eats a crayon that there is a colorful explosion in the bathroom the next day.  We expect it, don't we?

And yet, somehow, we don't seem to believe that the same is true when it comes to other areas of life. 


We have this silly notion that we can ingest a whole lot of garbage without ever having to see it again.  We make really awesome excuses for why choices that seem obvious aren't so black and white after all. 

If the desire of your heart is to love God and honor Him with your life, then I think taking a little inventory of what you are ingesting would be a worthwhile exercise. 

What are you watching on TV?  What kind of music dominates your Ipod?  Where are you hanging out with your friends on the weekends?

I don't want to be legalistic, but I absolutely have to be realistic.  What you ingest WILL work itself out in your life in one way or another.  If you spend hours every week sitting in front of shows that are completely void of the presence of God (or that mock the life that God has called us to live every 37 seconds), and your own connection to your Savior feels weak, you shouldn't be surprised.

We are silly to think that we can surround ourselves with so much darkness without being impacted by it.

What goes in, must come out.

I know what I want coming out of me (and what God wants for me), and I know which choices I have to make in order for that to happen. . .

Oh, to have the courage and discipline to follow through each and every moment!

Praying for us all this morning. . .  hoping that you are willing to take an honest look at whats goin' into your heart and mind. . . and where there might be garbage going in, I am asking God to grant you the guts to make some different choices this week.