GIGO
Hello.
There has been concern in the news this week about the water supplies in the UK. Are our rivers, lakes and lochs polluted, making them unsafe for swimming? The problem it seems is that our aging water supply network is not always up for the job and frequently discharges sewerage into our water ways.
The sewage problem reminds me of the well-known phrase: Garbage In, Garbage Out which is sometimes shortened to GIGO. It was originally a computer term, but is now frequently used in other fields of expertise, one of which is to do with the thoughts we let into our minds.
Both the Bible and modern psychology tells us that we are shaped by the thoughts we let enter into our mind. The apostle Paul, an early follower of Jesus, encouraged Christians to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
In other words, we should be aiming for Goodness In, Goodness Out. But this is not something we have to do on our own. This weekend many Christians celebrate Pentecost, what is often thought of as the birth of the Church and the anniversary of when God gave us the gift of his Spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us resist our impure thoughts and feelings and replace them with something better.
Don’t let the negativity and pollution of this world crowd your thoughts.
Turn to Jesus and let the good in.
Kind regards,
Gavin
About the Writer:
Gavin Henderson is the National Ministry Leader for GCI in the UK and Ireland.