“Summer time, and the livin’ is easy” – lyrics of a song popular from years past. A break from school — sleep late, vacation, relaxed days – ahh, it’s June!
As you enjoy the days, let’s remember not to take a break from your commitment to God. There are things that we need to “run” from. Remember Titus 2:12? It says, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Not only in summer must we do this, but every waking moment of our lives. We need to develop godly purity.
The world rates movies PG, PG-13, R and worse, but God rates things as Right or Wrong, godly or ungodly, and Righteous or Unrighteous. Numerous comparisons can be made. “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children,” Ephesians 5:1 [NKJV]. Peter, speaking by inspiration, says, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,” 1 Peter 1:15. Someone emphasized this saying, “all means all and that’s all all means.”
“Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity,” Paul speaking in 2 Timothy 2:19. To “depart from” means you don’t hang around sinfulness — flee from sin, run from evil and give sinful activities a big “no can do.” If you like to hang out at the mall, the beach or other places, wherever you are and every where you go, ask yourself, “is there something here I shouldn’t be hanging around?” To be able to answer this, you need to think about pure things, good things and godly thoughts. You are the guard of your own mind. Think of yourself as a spiritual goalie trying to deflect junk and evil from getting into the net of your mind. Your eyes and ears are the doors of your mind. Watch what you let in! – Television, Internet, magazines, books, movies, filthy speech of others and any other wicked thing should be avoided.
Make Psalm 101:3 your motto: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.” See Proverbs 11:27, “He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil.” The best way to develop a pure mind is to let God speak to you through His Word. Read it! Memorize it! Ponder it! Take it into your heart! Obey it! Jesus is your Best Friend, take Him with you everywhere you go.
