By Lois Hewitt

What do you take in?  Do you even think about it?  I never used to.  I thought that I had a strong moral imperative, that outside things could not effect me.

This from a person who would drink into oblivion, eat into a food coma and shop away rent money.  Like I had any self-control.  The one thing I did not lack was the ability to live in denial.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I was the lonely teenager who sat around on Friday nights, while my peers were at football games and such,  I was listening to music.  The last few weeks have been a struggle for me, so yesterday I got out my headphones and cranked the tunes.

That used to always make me feel better or so I thought.  But yesterday it did not.  As I listened to the words of the music that was my life line at times, I began to see the inputs were far more detrimental.

Songs about drug abuse, depression, pain, suffering and more of the like.  I found myself extremely agitated and had to turn it off.

A couple of times during this period I fell off the healthy eating wagon.  I binged on sugary concotions and fat laden food.  These were “foods” I existed on for decades and now the immediate negative impact of them caused havoc both mentally and physically.

Then I turned to a book for solice, a new author. Within the first chapter I read about several traumas, ones that triggered anxiety.  I threw the book down.

Television was always a respite for me. I turned it on to see a “family” show about teenage pregnancy and the “funny” side of alcohol abuse (which there isn’t by the way).

Am I saying to never eat bad foods, listen to secular music, read popular books or watch television?  No, I am not saying that.

What I can say from my own experience is that as we grow as individuals, and in my case as a Christian, the things we used to think of as sweet, can turn bitter. 

As I looked back at those things in my life, I noticed a pattern of unhealthiness.  The inputs that I allowed to dominate my consciousness may have inadvertently lead to some of my depression and other mental health issues.

I thought these things harmless. But the more I read God’s word, the more I see how these external inputs can cause chaos internally.

Now I’m never going to be able to ignore all those situations. But for the sake of my mental health, I am, at the very least, going to try to be more selective regarding those inputs.

Job 10:13
New International Version
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind.

What I watch, what I read, what I hear, what I eat and what I see influences me regardless of my perceived ability to control it.  Some of my issues may have hinged on my addictions to certain things.

So as I try to become more intentional, I need to realize that I am responsible for intaking those outside influences that may not be as inert as I once thought.

I owe it to my health and my progress in life to look realistically at those vying for my attention.  Not all of it is good.

I want to stand on the firm foundation of Jesus, so I must look around and honestly see those things that make me stumble and fall.  They must be avoided in order to continue growing.  This may not be a popular view but one that does need personal attention.