My wife and I were watching a movie recently, and it contained a scene I have often noticed in dramas.  It is where a person opens the notebook of someone else.  The individual could be a concerned parent, friend, psychologist, or even a police officer. They discover a pad of paper and flip the pages to see these dark, scary images drawn by the owner.  The drawings reveal the person’s struggles with inner demons of which no one knows. 

Well, I have never found a notebook like that, nor have I drawn one myself. (So you can relax a little for now.)  While I have not personally seen one, I have noticed that most of us could keep a journal like those on TV.  A physical demon or monster does not plague us; instead, we are haunted by the voices that speak negatively into our minds. 

Many of us struggle with a fear of failure.  The thought cripples us that other people might see us fall flat on our faces.  Others of us struggle with insecurity.  Our past keeps telling us that we are not worthy of friendship or even love.  Still, others have the monsters of self-doubt, anger, and resentment, the voice of a disappointed parent, and the disapproval of people we admire.  For some, past failures speak with more authority than present successes.  If we were totally honest, almost all of us have some voice in our head speaking from the darkness that pushes us in directions we never wanted to go. 

This is why it is essential to fill our minds with the things of God.  The Apostle Paul tells the Church at Philippi, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 –  NIV 2011)

We need to fill our heads with the voices of God.  We must listen to the sound of things that are positive and uplifting.  The monsters are always there lurking in dark places.  The only way to defeat them is to draw them out into the light.  Then you can address them with the grace, truth, beauty, and power of God. 

Every Monday we are given a new notebook; the pictures we draw inside are up to us. We must be wise about the voice we listen to while filling it up with our sketches.  It could be a scary notebook filled with depictions of evil.  It could also be page after page of Godly artwork that enlightens the soul.  The choice is up to you what kinds of pictures will come from this week.