The Key To Everything

UNSHAKEABLE: 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. That is, “right thinking” enables and encourages “right living” — godliness, a Christ-like response to life, an eternal perspective, an attitude of abundance, a Biblical worldview, etc. That’s why Paul calls us to “let God change us into new people by changing the way we think.” (Rom 12:2) Right thinking is THE key to everything!

Unshakeable Living // Romans 12:2

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.

We have a calling as Christians to right thinking. Right thinking is the key to everything — to godly living, to significance and satisfaction, to relational wholeness, to the abundant life, to spiritual growth, to unbridled 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:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

When Paul says to “think about such 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. It is the word from which we get our word for logic.

In other words, as those who have been redeemed through God’s mercy by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, thinking this way is only logical. When Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to present our bodies as living sacrifices — sacrifices that remain in the holiness imputed to us by Christ’s own sacrificial death — he says this is primarily possible through the transformation of our thinking, i.e., “right thinking.” Interestingly, when Paul says this is our “reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship” (Amplified Bible), he uses that same Greek root word for logical, logikos, i.e., “right thinking.”

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. That is, “right thinking” enables and encourages “right living” — godliness, a Christ-like response to life, an eternal perspective, an attitude of abundance, a Biblical worldview, etc.

Psychiatrist William Glasser, the father of reality therapy, discovered in his study of how the brain works that humans aren’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, “Above all else, guard your heart (the heart In Hebrew thought was the center of thinking) for it is the wellspring of life.”

If you want to improve your experience of life, deliberately and strategically change your thinking. Now when Paul says, “think about,” he doesn’t mean to leave it up to whatever pops into your brain. He is saying to intentionally and rigidly allow only certain things into your mind. He is referring to the practice or the spiritual discipline of setting godly virtues and Biblical values as the gatekeeper of your mind.

He is not suggesting silly mind games or positive thinking, mere optimism, or some type of self-hypnosis, he is 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, and not even an eBook book with background organ music. 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 are “a failure to think” that God is close and in control, and that he cares about us. 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 becomes 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 is the key to everything!