Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

"If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others."¹

Most readers will be aware of "computerese" language that has developed in relation to computers, email and the web. Words, or letters rather, with specific meanings such as: HTML, FTP, PDF, CSS, LOL, RSS, GIGO etc., etc. GIGO stands for "garbage in garbage out." That is, if we put garbage (nonsensical information) into our computer we will get nonsensical information out of it. It's the same with life.

For instance, you may have read the story about the mother who was cleaning and slicing vegetables for a salad when her daughter came into the kitchen to ask permission to go to a movieâ€"one with sufficient rating to indicate that it had "adult" language and other material offensive to Christians.

"All the kids are going," she said, "and their parents don't think it will hurt them."

As she talked, she saw her mother pick up a handful of the scraps and throw them into the salad. Rather startled, she shouted, "Mother, you're putting the garbage into the salad!"  "I know," her mother replied, "but I thought if you didn't mind garbage in your heart and in your mind that you wouldn't care about a little in your stomach.

Thoughtfully, the girl picked the peelings from the salad and then smiled at her mother. "I guess I'll just tell them I'm staying at home tonight," she said as she went through the kitchen door.²

The world we live in is plagued by evil and moral filth. As Christians a vital part of living a happy, meaningful and fulfilling life is, as God's Word instructs us, "turn away from evil and do good."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the insight to immediately recognize those things that are morally wrong and the good sense to turn from them. Help me to maintain a pure heart and live a life that is pleasing to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Peter 3:10-11 (NLT).
2. Chuck Webster, "Protecting Our Minds," The Words of Truth, Vol. 42, No. 4, April 2005, Ted Burleson, editor.

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