Mind {it happened on a sunday} day 29

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your

minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable,

authentic, compelling, gracious--

the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly;

things to praise, not to curse."  Philippians 4:8

In my youth, I sought to fill my mind with knowledge.  I wanted to read everything, see everything, experience everything.  I thought this would complete me, that somehow information could protect me and elevate me.  I didn't want to be weak, or afraid, or unaware.  When my dad banned "Sweet Valley High" books from our house (because of "mature" content), my sister and I got them from the library and hid them in our closets to sneak out at night.  When some kids from my youth group gathered to watch "Reservoir Dogs," I joined them and forced myself to watch the bloody final scene.  I didn't want anyone to put limits on what I could put into my brain.

Maybe it was a result of the depression I experienced in college, or perhaps it had something to do with my real commitment to God a few years later, but in my adult years, I have cared far more about filtering what goes in.  I confidently state that I don't enjoy scary movies, so now I don't watch them.  I look away if a scene gets too bloody; I always skip the first five minutes of "The Blind Side."  I stopped reading "Sweet Valley High" and Danielle Steel a long time ago, deciding that I didn't need to confuse myself about what love and relationships are actually supposed to be like.

I seek out information that will help me be a better wife and mother and friend, and I look for what is true and worthy of my attention in a world that never stops screaming at me to LOOK.  And I'll be the first to admit that it's hard to know when to listen and when to turn away.  The area of life where this might be the most difficult and confusing right now is online.  There are hoaxes and satirical news sites, and sometimes it takes a minute to realize when something is false.

That's why we need to take a minute.

I got really frustrated a week or two ago, when a bunch of my Facebook friends kept sharing and reposting the same status about how they had spoken to a lawyer and were stating as a legally binding contract that Facebook didn't have permission to charge them for use.  Come on.  Snopes.com exists for this very reason, to debunk myths and falsehoods that are spread online.  So why did none of these friends look there before sharing?  A local non-profit shared a "news story" a few years ago that 7 people had died on the first day that Colorado legalized marijuana.  I clicked on the link, incredulous, since I've never before heard of a single person dying from pot, much less seven.  The website contained titles of other stories, like that Sarah Palin had accidentally flown to South Korea instead of South Africa for Nelson Mandela's funeral.  Come on.  That's obviously a joke, which should bring the veracity of any other stories into question.

Then there are the sites that don't make me roll my eyes, but actually feel concerned for my friends. There are websites that are full of horrifying headlines, predicting economic collapse and poison in your water and identity thieves sitting in your driveway jumping on your unsecured wifi.  I followed a link posted by a friend to an article whose facts were dubious, and I could feel my heart rate elevate just scrolling through list of other stories.  If people are looking at garbage like that every day, they are bound to feel afraid and in danger all the time.  I want better for my friends.  I want better for myself.

Which is why I copied the verse from Philippians onto a card and carried it around with me for a few years, then taped it to a cupboard in my kitchen so I could see it regularly.  I need a reminder to look away from the terrible lies of this world, permission to discern the information I'm consuming, a sign that truth is real and there is a source that never lies.  God serves that role for me.  In the Biblical book of James, we are warned not to be people who are tossed around like a ship in the ocean, for such people who cannot make up their minds will receive nothing from God.  In the first century, readers of this book would have been duped by differing religious practices and false stories.  Today, we are just as likely to be tossed around by internet hoaxes and malicious content.

So let us guard our minds, and focus on God.  Let us ignore the click-bait articles and divisive headlines in favor of eternal truth.  Let us focus on one another, on building each other up, rather than spreading false rumors and scaring each other.  Let us each be our best selves in person and online, rather than the worst.