Good Stuff In...Good Stuff Out

This was a spur of the moment post that I wanted to get out. It isn't complete, and definately has some flaws. I just wanted to get the thoughts out on paper. When reading the gospels, we find that the pharisee's are always trying to catch Jesus messing up. They tirelessly ask him questions hoping for him to mess up. In the car tonight, I popped in an old CD that I have not listened to in quite some time. When I first ventured back to this CD a few years ago, I had not noticed that most of the songs written by this band, as well as most modern bands, were about losing a girl. When I listened to it tonight, I realized that these songs are desperately looking to fill a void that is being continuously filled and emptied in a never ending process with sin. Then people listen to these songs, and I strongly believe that it holds people back.

This reminded me of one of the situations with Jesus. Jesus was asked by the Pharisees why he was eating with unclean hands and with sinners. He quickly replied it is not what goes into the body, but what comes out of the body that makes a person unholy. I know for myself, my mood is very much affected by the music that I listen to. If I am listening to pump-up, workout music, I work really hard and I am very productive. On the flip side, I am very bummed out by sad music. So now, I take you to the lyrics that I heard in my car.

Linkin Park - Crawling

crawling in my skin
these wounds they will not heal
fear is how I fall
confusing what is real

there's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
consuming/confusing
this lack of self-control I fear is never ending
controlling/I can't seem

to find myself again
my walls are closing in
(without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)
I've felt this way before
so insecure

discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me
distracting/reacting
against my will I stand beside my own reflection
it's haunting how I can't seem...

to find myself again
my walls are closing in
(without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)
I've felt this way before
so insecure

So the person that is lost in sin, has it "crawling in their skin", is constantly staying in that state of mind when they keep listening to music like this. This relates to everything else we do! It draws the same parallel for me of someone that has an addiction that does not get away from the addiction. This is also no different than a new christian that never wants to advance from a new Christian (something that I want to post about tomorrow).

Bottom line, what you are surrounding yourself with is what you become. (I know this is a little contradictory to the statement I made about with Jesus' response, but it helped get me trhough to this point) You have to let Christ help you. Just by asking for forgiveness and believing in him is not going to completely do it. Yes, believing it is the first step. The next step is that you have to do your part. Good stuff in will result in good stuff out. Remember that the old you is dead, so the new you has to rethink your surroundings to make sure that you do not revert back to the old you or pick up some new sin that you had not experienced before.

Lift your chains, because Jesus holds the key. After you let him unlock them, THROW THEM AWAY.