The Rule of Exposure: What You Feed Your Mind Shapes Your Life

(Based on Proverbs 4:23)

There’s a quiet principle at work in your life right now. You might not notice it, but it’s shaping your habits, your moods, your decisions—even your character.

It’s called the Rule of Exposure—and it simply means this:

Your mind will reflect what it’s most exposed to.

That’s what Proverbs 4:23 is getting at when it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Everything.
Not just what you think about when you’re reading your Bible.
Not just what you dwell on during Sunday’s sermon.
Everything—your joy, your anxiety, your self-worth, your habits—flows from what you allow into your inner life.

You Are What You Watch (and Read, and Listen To)

Let’s get real. If we spend 4 hours a day on social media, bingeing cable news, or absorbing YouTube rants, we can’t be surprised when we’re anxious, irritable, fearful, and cynical. We are constantly being molded by what we expose ourselves to.

As Kyle Idleman puts it, exposure isn’t passive—it’s shaping.
Every song, every podcast, every image, every scroll through TikTok is a tiny sculptor working on the shape of your heart.

The Rule of Exposure says:

What enters your mind repeatedly, shapes your mind.

What shapes your mind, shapes your emotions.

And what shapes your emotions, shapes your behavior.

The thoughts that sit in your mind set the tone of your life.

The Input Always Becomes Output

John Ortberg says it like this:

“If you think you are immune to the law of exposure, and that you can just expose your mind to whatever kind of rot is in our society and have it not affect you, you are deceived.”

That might sound strong. But we need to hear it.

Nobody fills their car with sugar and expects it to run well.
Nobody fuels their body with Twinkies and expects to win a marathon.
Why would we think our minds are any different?

We must be intentional about what we let in.
Because what we let in… will come out.

Guarding the Gate

Proverbs 4:23 commands us to guard our hearts. The Hebrew word carries the idea of posting a watchman at the gate. It's not passive. It’s active, deliberate, protective.

What does that look like practically?

Audit your inputs. What are you watching, reading, listening to, and scrolling through every day?

Feed your mind with truth. Choose music, books, podcasts, and shows that align with God’s Word.

Create habits of renewal. Begin the day with Scripture. Set time aside to reflect on what’s shaping you.

And don’t just try to block out the bad. Fill your heart with what’s good. Philippians 4:8 gives us the filter: Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—think about these things.

What’s Been Shaping You Lately?

If your heart feels anxious, angry, discouraged, or numb… ask yourself:

What have I been feeding it?

Because the Rule of Exposure is always at work. You’re being formed—slowly, daily, deeply—by what you let in.

The good news? You get to choose.

Available on Amazon or as part of the Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service at www.MyBibleStudyLessons.com.

Why Books Are Better Than Curriculum My life has been changed a thousand times by books—almost never by curriculum.

I’ve spent decades in ministry, and here’s something I’ve noticed again and again: books change lives; curriculum fills time.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s some great curriculum out there. But for me, and for many people I’ve served, the real transformation has almost always come from reading a great book.

I’m talking about the kind of book that grabs you by the heart, opens up new ways of thinking, and won’t let go until something inside you shifts. The kind of book where you underline every other sentence and say to yourself, “Why didn’t I see this before?”

Curriculum often feels safe. Predictable. Scripted. It walks you through a lesson and makes sure all the blanks get filled. But it doesn’t always challenge you. It doesn’t press in with the force of an honest author pouring out years of experience, wrestling, and wisdom onto the page. That’s what books do.

Books have changed my life a thousand times.
Curriculum? Not so much.

Books like Knowing God by J.I. Packer, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, or The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard—they didn’t just educate me. They discipled me. They pastored me in the quiet hours when I was alone with my thoughts and desperate for truth. They shaped my theology, ignited my passion, and called me to deeper surrender.

That’s why I believe churches, small groups, and Sunday School classes ought to use books as curriculum.

Instead of prepackaged fill-in-the-blank lessons, hand your group a well-chosen book. Read a chapter a week. Ask a few good questions. Let the author do the heavy lifting, and let the Holy Spirit do the deep work.

When you read a good book in community, the results are powerful. People come alive. Conversations go deeper. The learning sticks. Why? Because books engage the mind and the heart. They aren’t just about right answers—they’re about transformation.

So here’s my plea to pastors, group leaders, and teachers: use books as curriculum. Let your people read Eugene Peterson. Let them wrestle with C.S. Lewis. Let them laugh and cry with Max Lucado. Let them be challenged by Francis Chan or stirred by John Ortberg.

Let them grow.

Because if you want to make disciples, get your people reading good books.