The Scripture passage for this Sunday, GEMS Sunday, is Philippians 4:8-9.

This year the theme for GEMS was, “Think Right: Win the Fight,” a theme that comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:8) – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” As the GEMS learned throughout the year, our very thoughts are important to our walk with the Lord and in determining our words, actions, and behaviour.

It seems that wherever we turn we are told, “You are what you eat!” Whether we read a magazine, watch afternoon TV, go to a restaurant, listen to the radio, etc. we are bombarded with messages that caution us about the foods that we eat. Don’t eat too much sugar! Don’t eat too much salt! Don’t eat too much fat! Eat fruit and vegetables! Eat sweets in moderation! Watch your waistline!

And, by and large, those messages are true. If we eat only McDonald’s every day we will not feel healthy and likely we will not be healthy. If we only eat sugary and salty foods, it is likely that we will be seeing the doctor more than someone who eats a well balanced diet. “You are what you eat” …

But it’s surprising, isn’t it, that most people in the world can agree that the food we eat affects our health and well-being, however, much less people are concerned about the stuff we look at and read. There aren’t too many public service announcements (PSA’s) warning that reading celebrity magazines, watching blockbuster movies, prime-time television, or TV commercials, and even reading the newspaper are damaging to our health. But they are. If all we read and watch every day is negative news stories, negative political stories, sensationalized movies and TV shows, advertisements that promote a “skinny-at-all-costs” body image or “I have to look sexy for members of the opposite sex” … it affects us. Deep down, it affects us.

But this is not to say that we need to crawl in a hole, read only “Christian” material from the Christian bookstore, watch only “Christian” movies produced by Christians with Christian actors. But it does mean that we need to be careful. We need to be careful what we think about, and the first way to do that is to be aware of what we think about because our thoughts affect our words, which affect our actions, which affect who we are as people.

We can watch movies, we can read books, we can watch prime-time television … if we evaluate them first. First and foremost, we have to be able to discern these things and to do that we have to know our foundation as Christians – the Bible. We have to read it, study it, and have it in our hearts. Then we can evaluate what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, and ask ourselves, “Is there anything worthwhile in these things? Do they have any redemptive qualities?” Maybe they do, but maybe they don’t. If they don’t, perhaps we should watch or read something else. If they do, then we should feel free to engage them with a mind shaped and sharpened by the Word of God.

It all sounds so overhanded – do this, don’t do that. But when we realize that God gives us these instructions for our benefit, that changes things. Our thoughts are very powerful and difficult to change. In the day-to-day struggle with our thoughts and what influences them it might feel like we are struggling against ourselves; it might feel like we are trying to make ourselves better so that we can be accepted by God, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We are saved by grace. Jesus already died for our sin, and paid the price for our salvation.

As His children, God shapes and moulds us to be more and more like Jesus. This shaping and moulding goes deep down, affecting even our thoughts, desires, and emotions. When we look back, we will realize that only through the presence of Jesus with us in the Holy Spirit, and by His power, are we able to follow these instructions and learn to think “right.” He is with us, guiding us, leading us, strengthening us, and empowering us to think right and win the fight.