Toxins

People are greatly concerned about toxins. Moms want everything around their children to be pristine and germ-free. I remember when homemakers all over America were buying anti-bacterial gels, soaps, and cleaners. Now, we’re making our own cleaners and using natural sanitizers, like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda.

Shoppers read labels, avoiding certain additives. They frequent organic food stores, farmers markets, and try to make sure crops weren’t sprayed. People want genetically modified foods to be clearly marked. They watch out for dyes, antibiotics, hormones, and other harmful additions to meats.

Many moms have their own essential oil cabinets. (You can access my post about essential oils, here.) Most of us at least Google our symptoms and see what different experts say about treatments and prevention.

We’re concerned about our environment, too: smoke, chemicals, and caustic particulates in the air. We care about clean water.

We try to protect our families from toxic substances—and, rightly so.

I wonder: have we given the same amount of thought to the toxins that affect our souls? Outside influences can cause serious soul damage, stunt its growth, and poison its very being. 

• Dirt and germs—There’s a lot of infectious sin out there! Whether it’s TV, a DVD, a book, social media, entertainment, or anything else, there’s so much that can damage our souls and distract us from praying, thinking right thoughts, and spending time on what’s good for us. The filth of this world is dangerous!  
• In our “medicine cabinet”—What kinds of toxins are we pouring into our soul? Are we injecting ourselves with erroneous doctrine? Are we following a human “doctor” instead of the Great Physician? Are we blindly accepting what we hear without comparing it to the Bible?
• In our food—What kinds of spiritual food are we eating? Is it full of additives (romance, violence, nasty language, negativity, witchcraft, darkness)? Is it sensual and provocative? Or, are we feeding our souls on wholesome, fun, and truly spiritual food, with sound doctrine and clean thoughts? Are we feeding on the milk and meat of the Word of God, the Bible?
• In the air we breathe—What kinds of places do we frequent? What kind of atmosphere do we prefer? Do we surround ourselves with pure, clean air? Or do we enjoy smoke-filled rooms, strobe lights, noise, and shows? Do we get out into God’s nature, so that we can enjoy His creation and praise Him freely? Or do we shut ourselves inside, watching wretched TV programs and spending hours surfing the web?

How can we stay clean? 

• Use heart sanitizer. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).
• Wash our hands. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully (Psalm 24:3-4). I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (1 Timothy 2:8).
• Offer our body. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).

How can we protect our souls?

God gives us protective armor and one offensive weapon, the Bible. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:11-18).

• Truth
• Righteousness—through Christ
• The gospel of peace
• Faith
• Salvation
• The Word of God—the sword of the Spirit

  . . . And, prayer.

God has given us everything we need in order to keep spiritually healthy in a toxic world. Praise Him!

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
(James 1:27)