Harden your heart to corruption. Soften it to compassion.

Influences matter. They mold you into their image. Discern and avoid deceptive and/or devious influences. When you neglect to consciously choose your influences, you surrender to whatever influences come your way.

Think twice before you watch or read something. Like food, the thoughts and images you consume will influence you for better or for worse. The media you consume influences you. If you continue to consume it, it will squeeze you into its image.

Everybody has a flock of options in life, but negative influences often blind them to the point where they feel stuck with few choices. Much is influencing 21st century people to be irresponsible and to cave into self-destructive attitudes and behaviors. Make every effort to avoid negative influences.

Whatever expands your ego and inflates your pride is probably a bad influence on your future. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” –Proverbs 16:18.

Text messages and phone conversations don’t originate inside your phone and many of the thoughts you have don’t originate inside your brain. They come from outside influences.

Ungodly influences are like a nicotine patch. If you let them stick to you, you’ll absorb and be affected by them. Seek out what inspires your heart, not what corrupts it.

Christians should be examples of compassionate influence, not dogmatic legalism. Deceptively presenting partial truth is a self-righteous way to lie.