Soaked

“We can’t help but be changed when we are soaked.  The question becomes what are we soaking in?”

Loren Thornburg

Sometimes dishes won’t come clean.  Even with heavy scrubbing and hot water the food remnants seem to be stuck there forever.  However, after soaking the dish in water for an extended period of time the remnants begin to dislodge and the dish is able to come clean again.  You and I are like that too.  We can’t help but be changed by the thoughts we are soaking in.  It’s like a marinade.  The taste of the meal becomes that which you marinate it in.  So then we too become that which we marinate in.  When we think about truth we reflect that in our life, however when we think about lies or fears our whole life is affected.  Therefore we need to marinate in things that are true for when we do it becomes like the dish that has been soaked; the lies begin to come off easily for they can’t remain when soaked in truth.  Let's get soaking in truth. 

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”

Philippians 4:8 Amplified

God knows us.  He created us and so He knows what we need.  God knows how important our thoughts are to our life and relationship with Him.  Paul is relaying that message to the Philippians and to us.  Though years and cultures apart our issues are the same.  What we think about matters.  The thoughts that are minds are soaked in make a difference.  Yet, even if we have soaked in thoughts that are not true, honorable, pure and lovely still we can return.  For in soaking in thoughts that are worthy of reverence they become like the water in the dirty dish and dislodge the lies and fears.  So then let us continually fix our minds on these things.  The soaking of our hearts takes time, even more than the dishes.  It’s not a quick fix.  It takes more than hearing once to change, but it is the continual soaking in the truth that brings the freedom our hearts need.  Start soaking in Him.  It changes things.