Living a “Thoughtful Life”
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV)
A few years ago, I asked you a question. I began with, “You need to think about – what you think about.” Think about it… what has been on your mind this past week? What thoughts have kept you up at night? What thoughts caused you to be anxious, to worry, or to be fearful? Where did you focus your attention? Did you focus your attention on good things? Or were your thoughts consumed by negative things?
Why does this matter? It matters because the life that you have is a reflection of the thoughts you think. Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. Do you have areas of your life that you would like to change ? If you want to change your life – then you need to change the way you think.
As you think, so you become. If you think you can’t, you probably won’t. But if you believe you can through the power of Christ, you can. If you believe you’re a victim and nothing ever goes your way, then things probably aren’t going to go your way. But if you believe you are an overcomer by the power of Jesus Christ living in you, then there’s very little that can hold you back. You have a choice as to what you think about. You can spend all your time dwelling on your problems and moaning about your circumstances or you can start looking for solutions and praying for the hand of God to work in your life.
Here’s what I know about us. For almost everyone of us and in almost every situation, most of life’s battles are won or lost in our minds. The mind is a battlefield. It’s the battle between God’s truth about you and Satan’s lies about you. A war between God’s truth and the enemies deception.
Your thoughts matter. Let me say it again; your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. Or as the writer of Proverbs put it: “For as he thinks in his heart so he is.” There is a battle. That battle takes place in your mind. The marriage you have is a result of the thoughts you think. Your financial position is probably a result of your mindset about money. If you find yourself constantly being critical of yourself and others, it’s a result of your thoughts. The joy or lack of joy you have is based on how you perceive your life. If fear is your main motivator, then you probably don’t realize how much you are loved by God.
So, what would happen if you began today to change the way you think? What if you were to take the Apostle Paul’s advice? He said, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)
Let me tell you what would happen. Your life would change!