The Sponge Principle

 

A sponge is an ordinary household item that most people have in their homes. They are typically used for cleaning and scrubbing.  A sponge is also known for expanding while soaking up liquids. Whatever a sponge soaks up will also come out of it when squeezed. If you fill a sponge with lemonade, lemonade will come out of it. If you fill a sponge with milk, milk will come out of it. It can be no other way.

We can compare a sponge to our minds. Whatever we put into our minds is what will come out of us. In Proverbs 23:7 it says "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." In other words, we are all products of what we think. This is what I call the sponge principle. If we soak up negative things like anger, bitterness, jealousy, contention, etc. that's what will come out of us. However, if we soak up positive things like love, kindness, honesty, integrity, friendliness, etc. that's what will come out of us. 

We are all influenced positively or negatively by the things we watch, the things we read, and the things we listen to. We need to be careful about what we are soaking up so that what comes out of us can bring us peace and joy and can glorify God.