Last weekend, I realized I need a diet.

Although I’m sure my typical menu could use a tune up as well, that’s not the kind of diet I’m thinking about today.  I’m thinking about a mental diet.  I realize I’ve been ingesting way too much mental junk food and need to switch to a more beneficial mental intake.

The deceptive part about all the mental junk I’ve been taking in is that none of it is overtly sinful.  I’m not looking at anything online I shouldn’t be or reading total trash.  But I’ve been watching a lot of meaningless tv.  I’ve been killing more time on the internet.  Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have seen a lot more of me.

And I’ve been neglecting these things called books.  Bottom line:  I need to read more.  More things that stir my affection for Christ.  More things that grow me as a leader and pastor.  More things that inform my thinking about the church and ministry.  Biographies.  Good novels.  Basically, things that make me a better and more interesting person.

So, this summer I’m cutting out the mental junk and am reading more.  I’m trying to walk in the wisdom of what the Apostle Paul shares in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Maybe you’ll join me in a little mental diet over the summer.