One of the most important things that the Pilgrims and Puritans taught was faithfulness to God’s word. The Bible was the most important book they had. Because of this the children learned to read from the Bible. They believed it was important to hide the Word in their hearts and to guard their hearts from outside influences and the temptations of sin.

God wants us to guard our hearts and not allow things that dilute our faith and fear of the Lord to penetrate our soul. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”. In other words our hearts are a garden that we grow by what we plant in it. In the beginning when God created earth and all things in it He created a garden for man to live in and tend. Gardens are to be diligently tended and nurtured.

The question now is what are we growing and nurturing in the garden of our heart? When we fill our hearts with the messages coming at us daily through secular email, newspapers, TV, radio, movies, magazines, music and our educational institutions it contradicts what we know about God and causes, in the least, confusion. But at its worst it reaps a crop of godless ideologies that destroy instead of building up. The language of the world is not the language of God.

So what do we do to counter the false ideologies assaulting us daily? The following are three keys to protecting your heart and mind.

First, get the Word of God in your heart by regular Bible reading, attending Bible studies that actually study Scripture, and listen to Bible teachers at church, radio, TV or the Bible on CD. The Bible on CD is good if you have trouble finding time to read – you can listen in the car or while you are working. Some listen as they are falling asleep.

Second, find time to be intimate with God letting Him reveal truth to you. It is His truth that will let you know when you hear false narratives and ideologies. A scheduled quiet time with God in worship and prayer sets the atmosphere to hear His voice.

Third, when you hear or read the mantras of the media or even professors, text books, etc. – stop and think. Those who put forth relativism, socialism and post-Christian ideologies count on people not thinking but just accepting what is being put in front of them. In our post Christian world we are taught that feelings are more important than critical thinking or thoughtful evaluation. If they can get you to act purely on your feelings instead of using the common sense and logic God has given you then they have you falling for the lies.

The Bible clearly says that we are not to be subject to our emotions and feelings but we are to be led by truth found in God’s word. I think we all recognize that making decisions out of our emotions rarely produces positive results. If we live a life controlled by our emotions we will constantly be offended, envious, hurt and confused. God gave us an incredible brain capable of so much more that we realize and we need to use it.

The very first document that espoused government by the people was the Mayflower Compact. Up to that point in time people were governed by dictators and monarchs. The concept of self-government is a biblical concept that the Pilgrims believed was primary to living a true Christian life. This concept was taught and accepted in the Colonies when the Declaration and the Constitution were written. Knowing that only a people who were religious and moral could maintain a Representative Republic, the Founders and Framers acted in faith that future generations would be faithful to God and act morally thus enabling the nation of flourish and prosper.

It seems that we have let them down. We have not been faithful in this area much less in passing to each succeeding generation our faith, knowledge of God’s commandments, and our Christian heritage. Therefore, we have fallen prey to the enemies of God who have been trying to undermine the American “idea” (values) since the signing of the Constitution.

The good news is that it is not too late and all is not lost. We are not as those who have no hope because we have Jesus, the greatest gift to the world. We just need to awaken to our responsibilities as Christians and citizens in the United States of America. Putting the Word of God in our hearts and then tending and guarding the garden of our heart will jump-start the change that we do want to see. Living in line with His word gives us a sense of peace and security.

Dinner Table Question for Discussion: Discuss how you would go about stopping and thinking about the ideas being presented to you on a daily basis?

G2g [Generation 2 generation] is a 501(c)3 ministry devoted to promoting biblical worldview, truthful understanding of America’s Christian heritage, a clear understanding of the meaning of liberty and the importance of legacy in maintaining liberty for all. As we approach the end of this year I pray you would consider making a donation to help further the mission of G2g and The Honor Project.

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