You Are What You Absorb

You Are What You Absorb

You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. Romans 8:9-10

If you have hydrangeas in your yard, you may have heard of this. Some people swear that if you plant rusty nails with a pink-blooming hydrangea, the flowers will change to blue over time. Supposedly it has something to do with adding metal to the soil, but gardeners know that the hydrangea is the litmus test of the flower world—its color is affected by the pH level and the amount of aluminum in the soil.

Like all plants, the hydrangea absorbs nutrients through its roots that, for these showy blooms, benefits the final outcome.

We’re like that as well. We absorb what is around us and reflect it back in different ways, good or not. Someone lets us pull out in front of them in traffic, and we wave someone else in a few moments later. Someone shares a word of encouragement or prayer with us, and when we return home, our spouse is the beneficiary of a kind word and a warm embrace.

What we take in often comes back in ways we can’t anticipate. The key is to make sure that what we absorb is helpful to us and glorifying to God. It must demonstrate that we know our bodies and minds are God’s temple, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

That’s why Coach Noll was always careful with the coaches and players he brought to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Because he was trying to create a positive atmosphere that would solidify the team, he had to carefully screen the attitudes of everyone who was coming in. He preferred not to trade for players who had been with other teams because he didn’t want them talking in the locker room about how things were done with their old team. He was reluctant to bring in coaches from other clubs for the same reason.

What are you absorbing into your life today? Do you need to add more healthy things, eliminating things that compromise your witness and do not glorify God? The things that you take in often come out in your words, your attitudes, your habits. Make sure everything you bring in is worthy of being in the temple.

Uncommon Key > Your mind is like a sponge, absorbing everything it dwells on. Is it a soiled sponge or a clean one? Keep it clean and focused on what will bring glory to God.