THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET?

THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET? An empty bucket is a convenient receptacle for anything someone wants to pitch into it.

Let’s consider the mind as a vessel or container-a bucket. The mind is similar in many ways to a bucket or any type of holding vessel. When one is born into this world, his mind contains no knowledge. It is as an empty bucket; ready to receive whatever information is put into it. Some kinds of buckets have lids. If I have a bucket, and do not want anything put into it, I just clamp the lid on: sometimes we do that with our mind. I may be very selective about the kind of material that is put into my bucket, and place a filter on it. This may be especially true if I am putting material that I wish to keep free of foreign matter into my bucket. Similarly, I may filter the material which goes into my mind. If undesirable material is getting into my bucket, I may need to use a finer filter: so it is with the mind.

Now, consider some ways in which the mind is not similar to a bucket. In some cases, if something gets into my bucket which I do not want in it, all I have to do is just take it out, and there is no problem. With the mind, it is not that easy. Once a bit of information or an idea is implanted in the mind it is almost impossible to get it out. If the material in a bucket becomes so contaminated that it is not useful, we may just empty the bucket, wash it out, and start over. We can not do that with the mind. Therefore, great care must be taken with that which goes in. Being surrounded with so much good and useful information, it seems that we would have no trouble filling our bucket (mind) with such. But, in spite of our best efforts, undesirable things slip through our filter.

What shall we do? Use God’s word as a filter. If my mind is filled with God’s word, undesirables are blocked out. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He answered each temptation with, “It is written.” Satan can not penetrate this barrier. It is not necessary for us to view everything with a closed mind (a lid on our bucket). The proper filter (the word of God) is all sufficient.

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 Romans 15:13-14;Colossians 1:9-10;Php 1:9-11;Php 3:8;James 3:13;2 Peter 1:2-4

OH! Let my bucket be not empty, but filled with the knowledge of the good things of God, that it be not a catch-all for vile words and thoughts.