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Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Think on These Things

Our thoughts influence our words, our actions, our character...our life. Paul told us how to have the right kind of thought. Paul offered us a tip for overcoming anxiety/worry. We must choose wisely what we fill our mind with. With the Holy Spirit living inside us, guiding us, helping us, empowering us, we are able to take our thought captive & make it obedient to Christ, and choose to dwell on things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. Think God's thoughts. We need to saturate our mind with God's Word. God's Word gives us comfort, wisdom, understanding, guidance, encouragement, hope, peace, and joy. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (Psalm 19:7-8) Fill your mind with God's truths (memorize Bible verses). 

What we choose to dwell on will affect who we are. "A man is what he thinks about all day long." (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Jesus is the embodiment of all the virtues listed in this verse. Therefore, it makes sense for us to meditate on Him, His attributes, and His Word. We are to have the mind of Christ. A Christian thought life is essential to a life of unity (Philippians 4:2-3), joy (Philippians 4:4), peace (Philippians 4:6-7), obedience (Philippians 4:9), and contentment (Philippians 4:11-13).


Be aware that there is a battle going on in our mind. By choosing to occupy our mind with godly thoughts, we can prevent Satan from attacking our mind with lies, deception, anxious thoughts, destructive thoughts, sinful thoughts. Sin begins in the mind and so does godliness. 

"The spiritual battle, the loss or the victory, is always in the thought-world." (Francis Schaeffer) 
"If the heart be full of sinful thoughts, there is no room for holy and heavenly thoughts. If the heart be full of holy and heavenly thoughts by meditation, there is no room for evil and sinful thoughts." (William Bridge)
"
Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit--and man is his own gardener." (James Allen)

"One who accustoms himself to think of pure and holy things, who sets his affections on things above, and strives to reach for things which are true, things which are honorable, things which are lovely--will grow heavenward toward the things which he loves and thinks upon. 
But one who lets his mind turn habitually . . .
  to debasing things,
  to unholy things,
  to impure things, 
  to earthly things--
will find his whole soul bending downward, and growing sinful, corrupt, and evil." (J.R. Miller) 


Philippians 4:8 is a great guideline to help us decide what to read, what to watch, and what to listen to. We must be vigilant about what we allow to enter our mind and our children's mind. The saying "garbage in, garbage out" is true. So many things can tempt us and pollute our mind. 


"To think is an effort; to think rightly is a great effort; and to think as a Christian ought to think is the greatest effort of a human soul." (Oswald Chambers)

"We grow like the things we think about." (Daniel L. Marsh)
"At every point right living begins with right thinking." (Bruce J. Milne)
"God will not live in the parlour of our hearts if we entertain the devil in the cellar of our thoughts." (Charles Spurgeon)
"It is a law of life--that our thoughts build our characterIf we meditate on the purity, the holiness, the goodness, the love, the righteousness, of Christ--these qualities will print themselves upon our own hearts." (J.R. Miller)
"Beautiful thoughts make a beautiful soul, And a beautiful soul makes a beautiful face." (Unknown)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that renews my mind, encourages my heart, revives my soul, and transforms my life! Please help me meditate on Who You are and on Your truths each and every day. Please purify my heart and mind to be like Christ's and help my mind to focus on what is pleasing and honoring to You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

"Lord, help us to think of the right and the true,
The pure and the noble—it all points to You;
For if we consider what's worthy of praise,
We'll then want to live for You all of our days."
(Fitzhugh)

1 comment:

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