My son, Jason, and my daughter-in-law, Kella, were out in the barn behind their house recently. Their daughter, Ava, brought her little shovel and was industriously digging in the dirt.
When Kella asked her what she was doing, Ava replied, “I’m digging a reservoir.” Her parents looked at each other in shock. Obviously not the answer they’d expected from their just-turned-four-year-old little girl.
Jason said, “Did I hear you say you’re digging a reservoir?”
She looked at him nonchalantly and said, “Yeah.”
“Do you know what a reservoir is, Ava?”
And then she proceeded to explain in detail about reservoirs to her parents.
Kella said, “Ava, where did you learn about this? Was it on one of your movies?”
“No, I watched it on the iPad.”
Jason shared that story with me, expressing his amazement that a four-year-old could watch something one time and remember the word and such intricate details about reservoirs.
Our little redhead loves playing with the iPad and her parents’ phones. Let’s just say she’s far surpassed her grandfather’s technology skills. I laughed while I told him the story, but then later that evening, I thought about something: It’s amazing that our tiny girl gained that knowledge from watching something once on the iPad, but it’s also a vivid reminder that those little minds are like sponges—and we need to be careful about what they see and hear.
Pay attention to the books they’re reading, the movies they’re watching, and what they’re doing when they’re on the internet. Parents even need to be careful about the cartoons their children watch since some of them have content that’s contrary to our Christian values.
And it’s not just the little ones we should be concerned about. We as adults need to be careful about what we’re filling our minds with as well. Movies filled with foul language, affairs and skimpy attire or nudity leave images and thoughts that take root in our minds.
Sometimes as we make our excuses we say, “Well, it’s just a little bit of cursing or it’s just a little bit of sex in that movie.” But stop and think about something: We don’t take a little bit of the egg shells and the banana peels and add them to our loaves of banana bread. We don’t stir a little bit of the coffee grounds into our cups of coffee. Why? Because even a little bit will ruin them. It’s the same with what we’re listening to and watching. It can ruin our lives and our Christian testimony.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
Let’s determine today that we’re going to be diligent about protecting the hearts and minds of our little ones…and ourselves. Let’s fill our lives with thoughts and things that will make us godly men and women who will make God proud.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
