With What Shall We Feed Our Minds?
By B. J. Cady
We are admonished to keep the heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. And again we are told that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Seeing that what we think upon has so much to do in forming our characters, how important that we feed our minds with the best mental food! Literature of every description abounds in the world to-day. Some of it is vile, and much is light and trashy, and can not be food for the mind, any more than tobacco and liquor are food for the body. Should we as Christians waste our time and weaken our minds in reading novels and stories of romance? Many of us have but little time to read. We can not read nearly all our own denominational works. Shall we spend the little time we do have in reading magazines and newspapers, and feeding our minds with the sensational accounts of murders, family troubles of noted people, etc.? This kind of reading usually takes away one's appetite for real, solid reading-matter. It cloys the mind as rich food cloys the appetite, and makes the beautiful story of redemption seem tame and uninteresting. The spirit of prophecy warns us on this point, as follows:— “Works that do not decidedly mislead and corrupt are yet to be shunned, if they impart a disrelish for the Bible. This word is the true manna. Let all repress the desire for reading-matter that is not food for the mind. You can not possibly do the work of God with clear perception while the mind is occupied with this class of reading. Those who are in God's service should spend neither time nor money for light reading. What is the chaff to the wheat?”
In my own experience, I have learned the truth of these words. When I was a young girl, before I accepted present truth, I spent much time in novel reading. I had no taste for such literature as the Bible, history, and religious works. Very naturally, my ambitions were controlled by false ideas of life obtained from what I read, and I felt a dissatisfaction for the duties and obligations of real life. But when I chose to serve the Lord, I put away such reading-matter, and have learned to love the Word of God for the spiritual life and blessing in it. Some of our own people have a very limited understanding of the truth. They do not search the Scriptures, but spend most of their time perusing the newspapers and popular magazines of the day. If we would discern the deep, spiritual truths of God's Word, we must search for them as for hidden treasure. Some read the Bible and other good literature as they are in the habit of reading novels, and then because they have merely skimmed over the surface and do not see the point, they come to the conclusion that the author is wrong. If they would only take time to read carefully and to consider the matter, they would find it to be precious truth and food for the soul. But because they have contracted mental dyspepsia through improper reading, and their minds can not properly digest the truth presented, they conclude that it is not truth, and go on in their ignorance. The Spirit of the Lord says to us:— “Let the truth of God be the subject for contemplation and meditation. Read the Bible, and regard it as the voice of God speaking directly to you. Then will you find inspiration and that wisdom which is divine.”
If we do not love to study God's Word, then we surely have not yet learned to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. We need to cultivate a taste for the Scriptures. But how can we when our minds and time are already fully occupied with worldly literature? We can help ourselves very much by keeping our homes free from questionable literature. When we see it before us, we are tempted to pick it up and read it, and it is also a temptation to our children. Why not discard it entirely, and supply ourselves and our children with our good, wholesome literature, of which we have such an abundance? In a talk at the last General Conference, Sister White said, “Put novel reading out of your lives. You have none too much time in which to gain an understanding of what saith the Scriptures.” How true this is! Most of us are burdened with many cares which distract the mind, and have but little time to read. Why use that precious time in hurriedly reading this, that, and everything? Why not make it our first business to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness? When we have a little spare time, and have not yet that day read any of God's message to us, would it not be well to make that first, and read some words of admonition, warning, or comfort from the Lord? Just one verse, read thoughtfully and given a personal application, will do the soul more good than a long chapter read hurriedly and with the mind constantly wandering away to other things. We need all the spiritual food we can get. Through the spirit of prophecy the Lord has told us, “The religious experience is to a great degree determined by the character of the books you read in your leisure moments.” If we choose light reading-matter and neglect God's Word, it will be our eternal loss. So let us learn to feed on the Word of God that we may live and grow spiritually.