Feeding Your Imagination
As we discussed in our last issue, for thirty-eight years the infirmed man thought he’d have to be the first in the pool in order to be healed.But why did he think that?Because he imagined it. So what’s imagination? Imagination is defined as ‘the power or faculty of the mind by which it conceives and forms ideas of things communicated to it by the organs of sense1. Therefore, your mind will come up with all types of ideas it hears, sees, feels, says, or touches. It’ll gather ideas from other people, social media, television and even the devil. And because it can sense it – it’ll believe that what it’s sensing is true.
Take this man for instance. For thirty-eight years, he saw with his very own eyes, other ‘sick…blind, lame, and paralyzed’ people ‘made well of whatever disease’ they had when they got into the pool. (John 5:3, 4) So year after year, because that’s what he heard and saw, his mind began to form ideas and images that convinced him that he had to be healed the very same way. But was he? Nope! John 5:8, 9 says, “Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made well…and walked.”
You see you imagine what you sense; so if you watch the Real R&B Basketball Housewives of Atlanta Who Love Hip Hop™, then you could start imaging you’ll be one too; and treat that hardworking sweetheart of yours with contempt. If you’re on Facebook® all day and everyone is telling their business; you’ll start telling yours too. Why? Because that’s what’s being communicated to your mind; you’re feeding your senses on social media and reality television.
But what if instead of spending one hour on Twitter® every night, you read a chapter out of the Bible and journaled what you’d learned? What if you started listening to teachings on ‘Graces and Places’ by Bro. Keith Moore that’ll feed your senses the truth of what God created you to be so that you can live the life and be in those affluent places that you so desire to be in?
You’ve got to feed your senses the word of God; and not just on Sunday and Wednesday. You have to feed your mind and spirit on the truth because right now your spirit is full of manufactured reality. I’m not saying that you should never watch reality television; no, have at it! But try to spend as much time in the truth of God's Word as you do imagining someone else’s reality was your own.
Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, please forgive me when I've spent more time watching reality t.v. and being on social networks than I've spent with You. Lord, show me how to make time and enjoy my time with You. In Jesus’ name.
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SOURCE: 1 http://www.webster1828.com/definition.aspx?word=Imagination