Daily Journal: 19 September

The Inner State of a Person

The inner state of a person is the temple we live in. Hold on to what is right and good, tightly. The thoughts we allow ourselves to feed on is the story we end up telling. The actions we tolerate, we become accustomed to. The behaviour we censor or approve is the behaviour we end up living.

Titus 1:15 (NIV)

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

The state of the world is a reflection of the inner state of millions of people around the world. Whatever we turn our mind to, we become.

Micah 6:8 (NCV)

The Lord has told you, human, what is good; he has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God.

To the pure of heart, life is sacred. Decisions and transactions in life are sacred. Relationships are sacred. Treatment of others is sacred. The pure can see the corrupt and the incorruptible.

To those who are corrupted, nothing is sacred. Nothing is incorruptible. Their own consciences cannot reprove them. The inner state of the corrupted is further corruption.

2 Timothy 3:13 (NLV)

Sinful men and false teachers will go from bad to worse. They will lead others the wrong way and will be led the wrong way themselves.

Be careful of the people you allow in your life and the behaviour you tolerate.

James 1:20 (GWT)

An angry person doesn’t do what God approves of.

Evil is being accepted in the world today to such a degree that many people celebrate what God disapproves of.

Romans 12:21 (GNT)

Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.

It's more important than ever that the pure remain pure.

Proverbs 14:34 (NASB)

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Keep all things pure. Keep our own minds above reproach. We cannot make excuses for our conscience to justify what we know or perceive is wrong.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Be unintimidated by corrupted minds around us, nor be influenced by them.

Psalm 101:3 (NIV)

I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.

The pure cannot approve or tolerate what is impure. This is not hateful, this is godliness.

Proverbs 8:13 (GWT)

To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and twisted speech.

Hating evil is not hating people who do evil. All people are made in the image of God, though sin takes them far from His image. Jesus came to save all people. We are to be light among the darkness.

John 12:46 (TLB)

I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness.

Have you become a temple that shines like a light in the world, showing the way to Christ? Is there anything you tolerate that works against the light of Christ?

I pray that we will be true image bearers of you, Lord, light carriers of your light and truth. Help us to see the corrupt from the incorrupt, to hate what is evil and love what is good.