Tuesday, September 25, 2012

What Do You Think?



Do you ever think what you’re thinking about?  Isn’t it easy to just be thinking and not realize what we’re really thinking about?  Is it important to be aware of our thoughts?

Thoughts are seeds; they’re all around us – we’re bombarded with them.  All of our behaviors, our society, our world, is the way it is because of thoughts.  Hmm.  And every thought comes from somewhere; do we know the source of the thoughts we’re having?  There are evil, destructive thoughts – thoughts of sickness, death, failure, hatred, poverty, excess, procrastination, you name it.  There are also good thoughts: thoughts of holiness, life, health, prosperity, freedom, kindness, self-control, love, etc.

Have you ever caught yourself re-playing an argument or a negative situation in your head, going ‘round and ‘round and ‘round?  Those thoughts have the power to come into your life and affect your heart rate, your blood pressure, the blush of your skin, how you feel physically.  They can cause tears to surface, cause you to avoid people, and the eyes to react by looking away or down.  They can cause arms to fold in a defensive posture, or the face to contort in rage.  They urge release through the body via the mouth by evil words, yelling, crying, or physical abuse, and even worse – murder.  I believe that when those angry emotions aren’t dealt with in a healthy way by bringing them to Jesus and letting go of them, they are internalized and affect the digestion, blood vessels, organs, bones, and muscles of our body.  

(The statement that guns kill people is not a valid argument for gun control in our country.  Look at Cain and Able in the Garden of Eden; the first family on earth didn’t own a gun, a knife, or any other weapon.  They did have rocks and sticks and their bare hands.  And the curse of sin.  The bottom line is that nurtured, unbridled, hate-filled thoughts kill people.)

Other thoughts calm you down, make your relax, lower your blood pressure, thrill you, encourage you, make you feel peace and joy.  They cause your body to react physically, too: the eyes brighten, you smile, open your arms to embrace, stand a little taller, or dance. These thoughts also prompt release through the body by speech, laughing, singing, doing good deeds, etc.

When we hear of someone suddenly having an extra-marital affair, we’re shocked and wonder how they could do such a thing.  The truth is, my friends, it all started as a seed of thought a long time before the action showed up.  A tiny hidden seed that nobody saw or knew about.  That little seed of desire or discontent with their spouse was allowed to take root and grow by thinking in a “crooked path.”  The owner of that thought did not uproot it by taking authority over it in Jesus’ Name, but rather let it become impregnated in his mind.  It finally grew into an action of infidelity.  Then all hell breaks loose in the lives of those it affects.  That seed of sinful thought then kills, steals and destroys trust in a sacred marriage relationship.

Or take thoughts related to overeating.  We have to learn to uproot and discard thoughts that are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle – thoughts of discouragement, hopelessness, thoughts about how good something would taste. . . You get the picture.  What we’ve been habitually thinking shows up on one’s body, doesn’t it?  Ouch - I stepped on my own toes!  But God can and will help us change our thinking if we humble ourselves and ask for His help.

Those thoughts in your mind have the power to come into the physical realm and shape it – to form your life!  There’s a Scripture in Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) that says “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Think about the power of your thoughts; don’t discount them.  They matter!  We must control our thoughts and be mindful what is going through our head each day.  We must think about Jesus and His words.  We must train ourselves to think differently.  Romans 12:2 says it well: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Think about the power of thoughts as you envision how a flower grows from a seed.  You take the seed (accept the thought), plant the seed (give it the right kind of soil and atmosphere), and it sprouts and grows bit by bit with the right growing conditions.  Seed thoughts > actions > habits> destination.

I heard a true story from a minister who said that as a young boy, his parents had a number of pecan trees in their yard.  Nuts would fall to the ground, and seedlings would start to sprout.  It was his job to keep the yard free of these pecan tree seedlings.  He didn’t like to do it, so he waited until they were too high to go unnoticed anymore.  Then when he tried to pull these little seedlings out, the roots were so well established that he had to get a shovel and dig them out!  He learned very quickly that he had to pull them out as soon as they appeared.  

Think about what you’re thinking about, and choose to uproot evil thoughts immediately!  Give no place to the devil!  Let’s choose thoughts that produce life and well-being.  Think on Jesus and the eternal truth that you are declared righteous by God if you have made Him the Lord of your life.  As we think about Jesus and His grace toward us as believers, we are changed to want to think like Him!

If you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus, you don’t have access to His wisdom and help; but that can change right now.  I invite you to humble yourself and admit you need God; ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior from sin.  He will make your spirit alive toward Him and give you eternal life – the life you begin living right now.  God, through the Apostle Paul, says in Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  And again, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

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Copyright © 2012 Elaine Beachy 
  

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