“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God
change you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
(Romans 12:2)
Food For Thought… We have a calling as Christians to exercise right thinking, and I will tell you why this is of critical importance: Right thinking is the key to everything. It is the key to godly living, to significance and satisfaction, to relational wholeness, to the abundant life, to spiritual growth, to joy—everything!
Paul writes that we are to let God change us by changing the way we think. In Philippians 4:8, he describes the kind of thinking that will lead to the changed life:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
When Paul says to “think about things”, he intentionally chose the Greek term is logizomai, which means to compute, to calculate—to think deliberately, proactively and strategically. It speaks of an exercise in mental reflection that affects one’s conduct.
Now herein lies an important truth about the human mind: What we do—our behavior—and what is done to us—our circumstances—do not produce what we think. Rather, what we think produces our behavior in any given set of circumstances.
Psychiatrist William Glasser, the father of reality therapy, discovered in his study of how the brain works that man isn’t controlled by external factors, but by internal desires. Furthermore, our desires are predetermined by our thinking. So he concludes that the mind is the command center determining conduct. Therefore the critical issue for man is how he thinks.
Glasser had only discovered what the Bible had already said long ago—that we are the product of our thinking. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks within himself, so he is.” That’s why Proverbs 4:23 also says, “Guard your heart (that is, your mind) above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
If you want to improve your experience of life, deliberately and strategically change your thinking. So when Paul says, “think about,” he doesn’t mean to leave it up to whatever pops into your brain. He’s saying to intentionally and rigidly allow only certain things into your mind. He is referring to the practice or spiritual discipline of setting godly virtues and Biblical values as the gatekeeper of your mind.
He’s not suggesting silly mind-games or positive thinking, mere optimism, or some type of self-hypnosis, he’s calling us to think deeply, rationally and habitually about the things of God. He is calling us to think first, think early, think often, think deeply, think always. Think first, act second, feel third! Then your feelings will be managed by your thinking and your actions will be sound.
God created us with a mind, and he commands us to think. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together.” And the primary path for our reasoning is God’s Word. When God gave us his revelation, he didn’t give us a movie…or a series of music videos…not even a book on tape with Charlton Heston’s voice to organ music in the background. He gave us the written Word…which by nature calls us and causes us to think.
In his book, “Your Mind Matters, John Stott wrote, “Sin has more dangerous effects on our feeling than our thinking, because our opinions are more easily checked and regulated by revealed truth than are experiences.” Right thinking is the key to Godly character.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pointed out that our worry and anxiety is “a failure to think” that God is close and in control, and that he cares about you. Most people assume worry comes from thinking too much. But in reality we get anxious for not thinking enough in the right direction. Right thinking is thinking rightly about God’s purposes, promises, and plans. Right thinking is thinking reasonably about God’s revealed truth. Right thinking is the key to Spirit-controlled emotions.
A.W. Tozer wrote in his book, Knowledge of the Holy, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Right thinking is the key to your experience of God.
Thinking rightly is the catalyst for a great life. So watch your input; it become thought. Watch your thoughts; they become attitudes. Watch your attitudes; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
Now go think rightly. It’s the key to everything!
Prayer… Father, today I will choose to think about you. I will think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy. I will think rightly. I will let the mind of the Master be the master of my mind. Now I pray that you will transform my character by changing the way I think, and make me an offering that is holy, pleasing and acceptable to you.
One more thing… “Let the mind of the Master become the master of your mind.”
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