Wednesday, September 19, 2018

What’s on your mind: A consideration of opposite kinds of thinking


The wise King Solomon coined the aphorism, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7, KJV), in accordance with the inspiration of the Lord.  An online source indicates that the saying “not only embraces the whole of a man's being but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.”[1] Depending on the thoughts entertained, a man or woman will either think positively or negatively. Consequently, his or her life will be shaped for good or for bad.

On one hand, positive thoughts are powerful and praiseworthy. On the other hand, negative thoughts are nagging and do not help us accomplish God’s purposes. We must, therefore, choose our thoughts carefully. The Bible encourages us to think positive thoughts, i.e. “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, and whatever is lovely, [and] whatever is admirable...” (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

“A good man [woman] produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech” (Luke 6:45, TLB). Indeed, our speech is the result of our thoughts. The Lord sets a good example for us:
He never utters any untruth about us.
He never belittles or despises us, especially as we humble ourselves before Him. Instead, the Lord welcomes us into His presence and presents us as friends.
He dines with us and does not show disdain to our unfamiliarity or unpreparedness.
He longs to spend time with us and can’t wait to reveal more of Himself to us.
He has nothing to hide and He’s never too busy to hang out with us.
He daringly and dearly invites us:
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)

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