GIGO? Is that a real word? Is it a foreign word? Actually, it's the acronym for an old data processing term. It stands for "Garbage In—Garbage Out." Very interesting, but what does that have to do with us?

We all know that governments, businesses and even God's Church use computer systems to help manage their affairs. Computer systems are great for these jobs because they can quickly process huge amounts of information or data. But the quality and accuracy of the data coming out of the system is directly influenced by the quality and accuracy of the data we put in. Now, stop and think for a moment about the type of decisions NASA scientists would make if the data they put into their computer models were based on all sorts of wrong information.

Like computer systems, the decisions we make every day are directly influenced by the quality and accuracy of the information we put into our minds. King Solomon tells us, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). In other words, we become, or we do, what we think. Jesus put it this way, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). In other words, if we put garbage in, garbage will come out.

So, what are some of the ways "garbage" gets into our hearts and minds? Some of the obvious answers are TV, movies, music, friends and the Internet. None of these things are necessarily evil but anything in this world can be a medium to put "garbage" into our minds. Why? The apostle Paul wrote that Satan, as the god of this world, strives to blind people to God's truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan will use anything to keep us from a right relationship with God and achieving the awesome potential our Father has created just for His children.

Since Satan uses so many things to put the garbage in, how can we tell what is garbage and what is not? King David gives us the answer in Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." In other words, God's Word gives us the principles to guide us in this spiritual minefield. One test we can use to tell if something is "garbage" or not, is to ask ourselves, "What does this make me want to do?" Or, "What does it make me think of?" Or, "What kind of attitude does this give me?" If the answer is negative, chances are the input is also negative.

Garbage disposal

How can we get "garbage" out of our lives? Let's first answer the question, "How can I get all the air out of a 2-liter plastic bottle without it collapsing?" A good answer to this question is, "Fill it with water." This will force all the air out, but the bottle will remain intact.

Similarly, we can get "garbage" out of our lives by filling our hearts and minds with good, positive things. What are some ways of getting good stuff into our hearts and minds ?

• Keep good company. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'"

• Study God's Word regularly and memorize verses that may help you. In verse 11 of Psalm 119, David also wrote, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Take the time to read all of Psalm 119 because it gives excellent instruction on using God's Word and His law in our lives.

• Fill your mind with good, positive things. Paul in Philippians 4:8 tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

If we are to make good, sound decisions in life, and if we are to have good things come from us, we have to make sure we keep putting the right data in our hearts and minds. Otherwise, our output could just be "garbage." VT