As You Think.

The Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV) In other words our thinking determines the person that we are and become. (see also Romans 12:1-2)

Can you choose what you think about? Yes, you can deliberately choose. What about when things are obsessive and you are locked into what some call stinking thinking? Yes, we can with effort and discipline let good overcome evil. However, bad habits of thinking take some discipline to be replaced by good habits of thinking.

However, there are some guidelines for good thinking. Thinking must be based on reality. What good is it if based on an illusion. It must also be based on reason. That may be very difficult today because of our cultural influences. As Dallas Willard states, “That is part of the reason why in an age that attacks morality, as our does, the logical will also be demoted or set aside—as it now is.” The third guideline is that the good overcomes the bad or that truth sets one free from evil. The fourth is we can choose to think about God and all things related to truth and goodness. We can direct our thinking to the good.

The Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It would be good to read the whole chapter in context. The point is to rejoice in all things not necessarily for all things. For instance, you would not rejoice that you or someone else had cancer, but because you are in Christ and share his life you can rejoice in the goodness you share in God in Jesus. The Apostle Paul and Silas where singing hymns although thrown in jail for proclaiming the gospel. They weren’t glad they were in jail, but they were glad that they were in Christ. They didn’t have their identity wrapped up in circumstances but in Jesus. What truly is your identity wrapped up in?

Godly thinking leads to good desires and feelings. Our feelings are greatly influenced by what we think. If we are Godly, we want what is good in God. Our wants are changed because we are changed.

Could God sin if he wanted to. Yes, of course, God could do anything, but God does not want to sin. God is always true to himself. When we are Godly and share in our life with God, we also don’t want to sin, because God and his goodness are so immeasurable better and we love him and honor him.

We can choose to direct our thoughts. However, God will not compete for our attention. We must discipline ourselves to think good, righteous, pure, wise and holy thoughts. Of course, reading the Bible, Bible verse memory, spiritual reading and prayer help us to place our thoughts in goodness, love and purity. Spiritual disciplines are also very helpful. (See the books, “The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, and The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard.)

The scriptures state, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your heart you double-minded” (James 4:7-8). Good thinking overcomes bad thinking but without true submission to God in your life, instead of you playing God, you are double minded.

Do you want to honor God and respect yourself? If so, draw very near to God. “Grace is opposed to earning merit, but not to effort,” as Dallas Willard often said.

You are what you think and you can choose what you think and can rest in that goodness and in God who is the essence of goodness.