Mark 7:15-16

"There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."
Mark 7:15-16


This is interesting... talking about external and internal influences, and that nothing from outside can defile us (make us unclean) ... only the things that come out of us.  What comes to mind when I think about this is the whole action/reaction thing.  Other people can't make us into anything that we don't want to be.  They can try... we can get a large amount of bad input... or good input... externally, but the only thing that determines our selves... our cleanliness or uncleanliness... is how we react to that input.  Do we take in evil and then deliver evil out, like a computer would do?  Garbage in, garbage out... or can we see all the evil input and deliver good?  God gives us the freedom and power to be more than computers... to refuse to be shaped by evil influences... to transcend "society" and all the garbage around us.  We have the opportunity and power to inject some good into this world.  By the same token, we have the power to reject good influences and choose otherwise.  What we eventually become is who we choose to become.  If life gives us lemons, we can give life some pomegranates. :)  Don't limit your choices. :)  We're not a sum total of experiences... we're more than that, God has given us the power to be better than anything that we have *ever* experienced in our earth lives.  So, be who you have the potential to be... no matter what comes in. :)