What You Take In Shapes You (More Than You Think!)

What you allow into your life doesn’t just pass the time—it shapes you more than you think.

In this episode of FaithFuel, Bob Shaw encourages you to pay attention to what you’re filling your mind and heart with each day. Anchored in Proverbs 4:23 and Romans 12:2, this devotional shows how everyday influences affect your thinking, your reactions, and what starts to feel normal.

Through personal examples—including entertainment choices and reading habits—Bob shares how subtle inputs can impact your spiritual life in ways you may not even notice at first.

This isn’t about rules or cutting yourself off from everything. It’s about awareness. Some things are helping you grow, and some aren’t.

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Transcript

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What are you filling your mind with every day? I'm Bob Shaw, and this is Faith Fuel. What fills your day doesn't just pass the time, it shapes you. Think about the conversations around you, what you scroll through, what you watch. If you're not really paying attention, those things can seem like no big deal. But over time, it starts to have an effect. You've heard the phrase garbage in, garbage out, right? Well Proverbs 4 verse 23 says to guard your heart because everything you do flows from it. That includes what you allow into your life. I've seen this in my own life in a couple of different ways. There was a show everyone was talking about, and Sherry and I decided to give it a shot, but it didn't take long to realize it was filled with stuff we didn't need. Sexual content, constant profanity. We looked at each other and said, We don't need this, and turned it off. And it wasn't a one time thing. There have been other times where we had to do the same thing. But I've seen it in another way too. I'm an avid reader, love to read. And earlier in our marriage I went through a big Stephen King phase. One book after another. And Sherry started noticing a difference in me. The way I talked, the way I reacted. It was not good. Those books were getting into me more than I realized. They were affecting me spiritually. That got my attention. Now I'm a lot more careful. I still enjoy reading, but I'm more selective about what I spend time on. Because I've learned something. What you allow in doesn't stay on the surface. It sticks. It shapes how you think, what you dwell on, and even what starts to feel normal. Romans 12, verse 2 talks about being transformed by the renewing of your mind. That connects directly to what you're allowing into your life. This isn't about cutting yourself off from everything. It's just about being aware. Some things are helping you grow, some things aren't. If you're not paying attention, it can take you somewhere you do not want to go. Lord, help us be aware of what we're filling our lives with each day. Give us wisdom to recognize what's helping us grow and what isn't. And give us the courage to make changes when we need to. Shape our hearts and minds in a way that reflects you. In Jesus' name, Amen. Pay attention to what's influencing you this week and make a change if you need to.