What Are You Feeding Your Mind?

This morning, I was thinking about Philippians 4:8:

"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."

We live in a world of constant noise. Every day, we're hit with a flood of information—news headlines, social media updates, opinions from every angle. It's relentless.

I haven’t tuned out the news altogether, but I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid the overly opinionated, fear-driven reporting that’s designed to stir people up. It’s easy to fall into the trap of consuming negative content, and before we know it, we’re frustrated, anxious, and angry.

I’m not saying to pretend life is perfect or to avoid hard realities. But we have to recognize that what we feed our minds shapes our thoughts, emotions, and even our faith.

The Impact of What We Consume

We often underestimate just how much our mental diet affects us. If all we take in is:

• Negative news – Constant headlines designed to keep us on edge

• Outrage culture – Stories meant to stir division and anger

• Social media comparison – Seeing highlight reels that make us feel like we're falling behind

• Fear-driven narratives – Endless worst-case scenarios that rob our peace

Then, it's no wonder we struggle with stress, discouragement, and cynicism.

What we feed on shapes our outlook. If we consume a steady diet of negativity, we will think negative thoughts. If we constantly feed on conflict, we will feel anxious and unsettled. If we let fear dominate our minds, we'll struggle to trust God.

But here's the good news: we get to choose what we focus on.

Paul's Challenge: A Different Kind of Thinking

Paul isn't telling us to ignore reality—he's telling us to be intentional about what we allow to fill our minds.

Let's be honest. Are you spending as much time in prayer as you are scrolling the latest headlines? Are you filling your mind with Scripture as much as you take in social media opinions?

Paul says to think about such things. In other words, you sure better be spending more time focusing on truth, goodness, and God's promises than you are on everything else.

What's got our focus? Because whatever does will direct our thoughts, our emotions, and ultimately our lives.

Making a Shift: How to Feed Your Mind Well

If you're feeling overwhelmed by negativity, it might be time to take inventory of what's feeding your thoughts.

1. Check your inputs – What are you consuming daily? Is it feeding your faith or fueling your frustration?

2. Replace the noise – Instead of endless scrolling, what if you replaced some of that time with Scripture, prayer, or even encouraging conversations?

3. Focus on what builds you up – Find content that strengthens, challenges, and encourages you instead of dragging you down.

I'm not saying you have to tune out the world completely. But I am saying be mindful of what you allow to shape your thinking.

Philippians 4:8 isn't just a nice suggestion—it's a challenge to think differently. To choose what fills our minds. To shift our focus from what brings fear to what brings peace.

So today, take a step back and ask:

What am I feeding my mind? And is it leading me closer to fear—or to faith?

A Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to guard my thoughts and focus on what is true, noble, and pure. When negativity, fear, or frustration try to take over, remind me of Your peace. Give me the wisdom to choose what strengthens my faith and the discipline to turn away from what weakens it. Let my mind be filled with things that honor You and draw me closer to Your truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.