Scripture Reference: JOHN 6

While in the university, I was on my way to class when I found myself singing a song I didn’t consider appropriate for me to sing. I suddenly stopped on realizing that.
“How on earth could I be singing such?”
My thoughts wondered why and how. Of course now I can tell how and why!
My neighbor had kept the compound ‘charged’ with that song and had often left his CD-player on repeat. I was compelled to hear the song over and gain, against my wish. It played through the night till dawn. In that my off-camp apartment, I shared the same roof, without a ceiling with this neighbour. Gradually, my subconscious mind absorbed the song (plus others). So while my mind was relaxed, walking down the road the ‘absorbed information’ began to spill out. I had to ‘turn off the tap’ to stop the flow, then I gradually drained it out of my mind – now consciously. I had to make deliberate effort to end what I didn’t have to make effort to learn.
What you should understand is that environments are critical to the programming of the mind and the expression of resident tendencies.
The parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-8, 18-23) gives accounts of different expressions of germination potentials of viable seeds; seeds of the same stock under different environments. Nothing was wrong with the seeds. Everything was different with the environments.
Whatever you give enough time builds up in you. This fact is not less spiritually than it is physically. Whatever environment you dwell long enough cultures you, gradually. Whatever environment you expose your mind or spirit to, instills its program on you; it rubs off unto you, if you do it long enough; and it does so without your permission. It only needs your adequate exposure, that’s all!
When your mind absorbs information, that information somehow, finds expression in your life, somehow (this is one principal secret to spiritual growth – exposing yourself to God-encounters). That’s one way purposes and good intentions get aborted by wrong influences; choking influences. You can’t be chasing a worthy venture and still be clinging tight to what you probably consider harmless but which has a deeper negative impact than you’re aware of.
Walking with God, you don’t grow by assumption. Your active participation is relevant. There’s a place where you ought to live your life from. It’s called His presence! This is where you’re called to live from (Ps. 91). So much more than you can possibly grasp, happens when you dwell in that place He’s called you to dwell – His presence. Destructive habits are switched off; weaknesses are transformed to strengths; confusion is swallowed by clarity and direction; your human nature begins experiencing His nature – a participation in His divine nature. So much happens there, if only you would stay long enough, the environment of His presences cultures you.
The disciples left their lives and began to live his (Christ’s) life. That, on its own wasn’t achieved by just the ‘laying down’ of their lives. They were separated from secular life for a period of ‘schooling’ under the great teacher, Jesus Christ himself. It’s not enough to just say “I surrender my life…” if they (the disciples) had to grow, you too have to. That is achieved through process. Environments enhance that process. Don’t just be available in the secret place, be responsible in the expression of the latent gifts God has dropped in you through your choice of environments.

Whatever we do and whichever environment we choose, it should be one in which the Holy Spirit can comfortably reach us. We are advised to live in this Spirit-advantaged position daily (Gal. 5:16, 25).
There are countless ‘environments’ influencers out there: friends, job, the social media, the tv, music, news, etc. these create overlapping environments for our souls and spirits daily, because we are still in this world – the earth – though not of it (Jn. 15:19). You have to deliberately checkmate what funnels into your life daily. Be deliberate about sorting what influences hang around you. You have to make decisions about who your friends are and their influence on you. You have to decide on everything you do out there when you come out of the place of prayer or fellowship. This curbs the negative environments around you. By so doing, you can start getting better in your walk with God.
The bottom line is this: there’s what to stop doing and what to start doing; there’s where not to be present and where not to be absent. All boils down to conscious choices. If you don’t tame your environments they’ll tame you, and decide how and what your life becomes. Things won’t sort themselves in your favour without your efforts (except Divine involvement). While God has given you salvation, certain things are left to your choices to determine how they progress. This is one of what it means to ‘…work out your salvation…’ (Phil 2:12).
Many people would have turned out differently and far better if they were deliberate about their environments yesterday.