Think Right, Speak Right

Our thoughts influence our words, our actions, our character...our life. What fills our heart and mind will spill out in words through our mouth. To speak right, we must first think right (have the right kind of thought). 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. Fill your mind with God's truths (memorize Bible verses). "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14). This prayer demonstrates the important connection between the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart (reflection/thought). I include Psalm 19:14 in my prayer before I get out of bed everyday.

What we choose to dwell on will affect who we are, how talk, what we do, how we respond, and how we react. "A man is what he thinks about all day long." (Ralph Waldo Emerson) 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 pollute our mind and in turn corrupt talk comes out of our mouth. May we choose God's Word in, God's Word out, instead!

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. Please help my mind and my mouth to focus on what is pleasing and honoring to You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.