When I was a kid I used to take baths and would stay in the tub until the last drops of water circled down the drain. I would create waves toward the drain trying to make the water swerve away faster, however no matter how hard I tried, the water still drained at the same speed.
What I didn’t realize was the simple science at work which was the drain size dictated the speed of the water volume passing through it. As long as the size remained constant so would the speed of the escaping water.
In our modern age of mass media and up to the second news reports, we often try to process information the same way I tried to make the water in my tub disappear, as fast as we can. And just as the drain size dictated the speed of flow of the H20, our heart, mind and spirit can only absorb and process information at a certain rate. Our fact digestion speed is also affected by the severity of the news (tragic events like 9/11 or Columbine) and whether or not we are personally impacted by those circumstances.
Philippians 4:9 (ESV) reminds us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
It’s not always easy to find honorable, pure and lovely things to balance the wicked, cruel and unjust reports that daily bombard us. In order to balance the flow sometimes we just need to turn off the news and take a break from current events. Don’t worry, if it’s really important, someone will share the headlines with you. We can’t control the rate at which we process information, but we can manage the quality of the water that flows into our souls.
[Prayer]: Father, help me to be more discerning about what I allow to enter my mind. Allow me to retrain my focus upon things commendable and worthy of praise. Above all may I meditate upon your Word day and night. In Jesus, mighty name. Amen.
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