Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Mark Twain wrote, “What a wee little part of a person’s life
are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to
none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his
thoughts, not those other things, are his history.” (Reader’s Digest [1/93], p.
155).
Why is our thought life important? I think Mark Twain had it partially correct;
however, he missed this important truth: our thoughts influence our
actions. Jonathan Edwards put it this
way: “The ideas and images in men’s minds are the invisible powers that
constantly govern them” (Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards.)
When the Bible talks about our heart it is talking about our
thoughts. Every action or behavior
begins in our mind, this includes sin.
Jesus said, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from
within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft,
murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander,
pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what
defile you.” Mark 7:20-23
Romans 8:5-7 “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature
think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit
think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature
control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind
leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It
never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.”
We are challenged to think about the things of heaven not of
earth. Colossians 3:1-3 “Since you have
been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of
heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think
about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life,
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
If we are followers of Jesus Christ our thoughts are not our
own. God desires to help us control
them. If we want to live lives of peace and joy even in difficult times we must
think rightly. We do this by:
1. Evaluating our thoughts.
a.
Where did this thought come from?
b.
Is it a godly thought?
c.
Will this thought build me up or tear me down?
d.
Where will it lead me?
e.
What will the results be if I follow this
thought through?
f.
Can I share this thought with others?
2. Rejecting
ungodly thoughts. If you evaluate the thought and see it is ungodly, you
need to reject it. Philippians 4:4-9 “Always
be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you
are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry
about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank
him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds
anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you
live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix
your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely,
and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep
putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard
from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
3. Cultivating
godly thoughts. Turn your thoughts to things of God. Meditating on the Word and praying will turn
your thoughts back to the right path.
The old saying is true: You can’t stop the birds from flying
over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair. We cannot stop ungodly thoughts from entering
our mind, but we can keep them from staying around long enough to cause
trouble.
Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
The Remodel: Understanding that our thought life affects all
areas of our life. God desires to help
us control our thoughts.
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