Claire N. Streb: G.I.G.O.

 

G.I.G.O. is a computer term that stands for Garbage In, Garbage Out. It means if whatever goes into a program is garbage (bad), then the program is going to produce garbage (incorrect information).

Lately, I've been noticing many of my shortcomings. What do I surround myself with? I watch TV shows that are not good for me or pleasing to God. I allow myself to think negative thoughts. I eat too much.

I've heard 2Cr 9:6 paraphrased into, "You reap what you sow." It's similar to the 70's saying, "You are what you eat." How can we continue to subject ourselves to swearing, sexual explicitness, and violence in the movies, and now on regular television, and expect that we are going to be the best we can be? Everyone is so shocked that our children are murderers, yet they have lost their innocence at an early age, and who is to blame?

Someone said, "Insanity is the belief that if you can keep doing the same thing over and over again, you'll get a different outcome." In other words, if you want the results to change, you must change what you're doing.

I used to be fearful that my children wouldn't like me. I now realize that if I must sacrifice their friendship when it comes to having a curfew, being polite, etc., it's worth it.