How to Keep Our Hearts Pure in a Toxic World

Quick Read + Tips

Growing up in the Midwest, especially in winter, you had to take your shoes off before entering the house. Why? To avoid tracking in the messy mix of snow, salt, and slush. It protected the carpet and floors from becoming a mess within a mess.

That’s the same way we protect our soul and mind. Life will bring situations and mixed feelings. However, when we preserve the purpose of our lives, we can recognize the mess for what it is. Just as snow and salt will, over time, erode hardwood, causing it to warp, stiffen, and stain carpet fibers until they lose their softness and color.

1. Guard your heart.
   This may mean breaking off mindsets that weigh you down, the ones you keep nurturing that damage a godly perspective.
2. Break free from toxicity.
   Whether it comes from family, friends, entertainment, or music. Even Jesus didn’t always entrust Himself to people. He knew when His family wasn’t aligned with God’s plan, so He chose not to go with them to the Festival of Booths (John 7:1–10). Just because you’ve been tied to someone for a season doesn’t mean it’s permanent.
3. Don’t downplay what’s important.
   What matters to you should not be minimized to please others.