Along the way God has revealed this simple truth to me: When I allow my mind to wander into dim, shadowy territories, I open myself up to the tempter’s sharp arrows. When I give my mind free reign, it often wanders down the dark path of selfishness and sin; and inevitably, my lips and limbs respond in kind.
Thankfully, this is also true of the God-things. If I allow God to guide me into His gloriously green pastures, He will continually fill my mind with abundant thoughts of His unfailing love. These thoughts, if allowed to grow to maturity, will be manifested in my life as the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23).
The human brain is a powerful tool created by an all-knowing God, a God who created mind power to be the force behind all of our actions. Thankfully, He didn’t leave us to wonder what we should focus on; no, He graciously provides a guide to God-minded thinking—The Bible. If we fully immerse ourselves in the beautiful things of God, He will create a new heart within us. Then with our new, soft God-heart as our guide, our actions will reflect the change deep inside.
We must constantly guard our thoughts to avoid being drawn back onto the dark path of selfishness and sin. That’s why Paul gives us this recommendation: “Here’s how to really live: Focus your thoughts on all that’s true—all that’s morally and spiritual sound. Fill your minds with a deep reverence for everything that’s good, dwelling only on things that are pure, honest, noble, holy, beautiful, kind, generous, and loving. Don’t ever stop thinking about the things that cause you to focus on—and to praise—your Creator” Philippians 4:8 (Randy Reed Paraphrased Version).
So join me as I turn my thoughts to the beautiful things of God, allowing Him to refocus me in the right direction, thus producing the good fruits He promised.
Final Thought: The saying and the doing follow the thinking.
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