“Garbage in, garbage out,” or so the saying goes. It begs an uncomfortable question: what am I allowing into my mind? What captures our attention is, in many ways, what we worship.
Matthew 6:21
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I’m guilty. My phone is almost always within reach—games, social media, work, endless scrolling. I’d be lying if I said I’m ready to give up my iPhone and trade it in for a flip phone with calls and texts only. But limiting what I look at—and how long I look at it—needs honest examination.
1 Corinthians 10:23
“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial.”
What is my pattern? What do I consume? What do I subscribe to? The digital world calls this an algorithm—a mirror of what we’ve told the internet we want to see. It’s fascinating how my youngest daughter (left of center politically) and I (right of center) can view the same world so differently. She tells me stories that sound outlandish to me; I share things that earn me a stare, as if I suddenly grew a second head.
Those moments give me pause. Who am I allowing to shape my thinking? And what is the intent of those pushing this rhetoric? Whatever the answer, the responsibility is mine. I am accountable for what I allow to influence me.
Proverbs 4:23
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Lately, I’ve begun asking myself one simple question as I consume content: Is this helpful? More plainly, does what I’m taking in align with what God desires for me? If I’m being honest, my own assessment says about 90% of news, internet content, and social media is just noise—if not outright garbage.
Philippians 4:8
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure… think about such things.”
Limiting exposure to negativity may be the only arena where discrimination is not only acceptable, but necessary.
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
In a world that profits from our distraction, choosing what we allow into our minds is a spiritual act. Turning down the noise isn’t withdrawal—it’s alignment. When we quiet the devices, we make room to hear the still, small voice that’s been there all along.
