Short Thoughts - Be Careful How You Fill Your Mind

Ecclesiastes 1:17-18  And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

2 Timothy 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

One of the challenges in the day we live in is the mad obsession with information. People are addicted to hearing and telling a new thing, perhaps more than ever before in the history of this old world. It's important to remember that while our knowledge of God's word will make us wise unto salvation and give us light to live by, the knowledge and wisdom of the world tends to grief and sorrow. There are so many awful things in this world to find out about now, and even many good things are misconstrued.

Let's be careful of what we fill our minds with as we walk through this life. Some knowledge is needful, but a great deal of it serves very little good purpose, and too often no good purpose at all. Whether it's entertainment or just raw learning about various things, we need to be conscious of how we are using our time, as well as what we are feeding our minds. And, if you are struggling with sorrow and grief without an apparently good reason, maybe stop and ask yourself what you are putting in your head.

Even godly wisdom can tend to grief, though. That may sound odd, but the more wisdom we have in the word of God and in His ways, the more it can hurt us when we see people we love and care about doing things that will do them harm. This doesn't mean we should avoid knowing what the Lord says in His word, but it is a reminder that it is natural for one who has understanding in the word of God to recognize more of the ugliness and folly of this life. If we feel grief and sorrow at some of this knowledge, image how much grief and sorrow it gives God since He knows all. This should give us a respect for Him, and for His right to tell us how we should then live.

Ephesians 4:30-32 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.