Toxic

If we drink unclean water or breathe in chemicals from the air, the toxins can cause us to become unwell. It’s the same when we’re in toxic relationships, live toxic lifestyles, or have toxic attitudes. These things can make us spiritually and emotionally unwell. In Proverbs we’re told: ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’ God knows that the emotional and spiritual health of our hearts is vital if we’re going to follow Him and live well. If we don’t guard our hearts from toxins, we can spread toxins to others too. We don’t want toxins to be flowing out from our heart to those around us. The Bible says: ‘A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of’ (Luke 6:45 NIV). So what’s the antidote to toxicity? Firstly, we need to be filling our minds and hearts with the Word of God. We need to be dwelling on the truth, not the things of the world. Secondly, we need to be thinking about good things. The Bible says: ‘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). We also need to be asking for wisdom and discernment about our relationships. We need to be investing in relationships which bring life. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we cut everybody else out of our lives, but we need to be wise and guarded about who we spend the most time with and who we let speak into our lives.

Gen 47-49; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 26; Prov 7:26-27