Similarly, our time doing other things also shapes us. We don’t have to get into any complicated moral math problems about this, and we certainly don’t want to become legalistic. But it’s worth considering that if we spend much of our time listening to angry, bitter people, it’s likely to have an influence on us—to shape our hearts, our outlooks, and our habits.

This isn’t a “power of positive thinking” point, either—let’s not oversimplify. But let us consider, simply, tendencies. Influences. Habits of thinking. Persistent topics of focus. And let us consider how we allow them—or don’t allow them—to shape us.

I’m looking forward to Sunday, to worshiping with you—

Becky

Prayer

Holy and loving God, as we make our way through January, through the beautiful, bright days of snow and the dreary, tired, dim and rainy days, remind us to turn our hearts to you, creator of this complicated, interesting world. The webs of interconnection, from simple food chains to more complicated cause and effect progressions of temperature and moisture, are bigger than we can ever comprehend—and you manage them, always, all at once. We are in awe. As we touch the world in our own various points of connection, help us to be aware of the ways that we can influence that chain of connection, and the ways that our hearts are influenced by it. Keep our hearts ever grounded in you. Amen.