A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35 (NKJV)
Your heart is like a bank account; you can only withdraw what you deposit. Throughout your life, beliefs have accumulated in your heart perhaps without your knowledge. Many have come from your parents. Others have come from teachers and friends. You have developed beliefs from books, media and your religious background. The words you speak and your thoughts—what you allow yourself to think—also make deposits into your heart.
Every deposit has a corresponding result. For example, if you grew up in a family that was easily offended, you likely feel offended frequently. The only way to change is to deposit the opposite into your heart—forgiveness. It is a process that takes time, just as it takes time to save up enough money in an account to make a substantial withdrawal.
Ask God for help and then make new deposits. Listen to great teaching, read books, spend time with God and hang around people who live the way you want to live. Don’t gravitate toward people with similar problems. Although it may feel good because they understand your pain, you can learn little from someone who suffers from the same problem and is not overcoming it. If you are having trouble in your marriage, for example, hang out with friends who have a great marriage!
Today, carefully choose what you watch, listen to and say. Deposit great things into your heart!