Your Thought Life

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7

In one sense, you are the sum of your thought life. What you think reveals what you are. Although how you look forms externals that disappear upon death, what you think you take into eternity with you. All permanent change in your life takes place by altering your perception of reality.

You respond to the opportunities and imperatives of life on the basis of two things: First, what you think you can do. If you do not believe you are capable, you will not try. A man who does not believe that he can swim does not voluntarily dive into deep water. Second, what you believe you ought to do. Some things in life you may believe that you can do, but do not believe you ought to do. For example, you may believe you can wash clothes, cook meals, work in the garden, or paint the house, but this does not mean that you believe you ought to.

In order for you to perform according to the expectations of God, you must believe you can do what He says and that you ought to do it – i.e., the particular command applies to you. Foundationally, you must believe that what God expects from you He will empower you to do, and that your faithfulness in meeting His expectations will make an eternal difference.

If either or both of these are not firmly in place, you will not perform. For this reason you must saturate yourself with the Word of God. For in His Word you will find what being His follower looks like, and through the Word the Spirit will give you the courage to execute His will. Exposure to Scripture forms an essential ingredient in obtaining the “mind of Christ.” As you learn to think as God thinks your life will permanently change, and you will properly prepare yourself for an eternity with Him. Influencing how you think is a principle part of sanctification, for your actions flow from your thoughts.

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