Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” This is another one of those truths from God’s Word that is so simply stated but packs a huge punch. Heavenly Father tells us that our thoughts have a tremendous impact on the person we are and will become. Simply put, we are the sum total of our thoughts, and this is a big piece of meat to chew on. Many are not ready to digest it. We’d rather make all kinds of excuses or play the blame game rather than deal with the reality that our thoughts have played a major role in who we’ve turned out to be.
We’ve come a long way! As human beings, we’ve used our intellect and abilities to accomplish a lot, and God’s grace has allowed us to expand to the degree that we have. Unfortunately, as our knowledge of science and technology has advanced, our arrogance has exponentially outpaced it. If the pandemic has taught us nothing else, it has shown us how incredibly vulnerable we are. We are nothing without God, and He is the glue that holds the entire universe together. Isaiah 55:9(NLT) tells us, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” The knowledge of even the brightest among us is so drastically infinitesimal to God’s wisdom, that it would not even be a tiny fraction of a split fingernail; too small to show up on a pin’s head.
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:4(NLT), “So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” As believers, we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Lord, and we follow his lead and live by his example. We must humble ourselves before God through Jesus Christ and give Heavenly Father the glory and honor He so richly deserves. James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to those that are humble, and James 4:10 tells us that when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up in honor.
God has given us the capacity to think for ourselves, and our thoughts are based on what we believe. From the moment we are born, the world tries to shape and mold how and what we believe. This is the devil’s attempt to keep our minds from focusing on God. It is no secret that the enemy is after our minds, because the mind is the epicenter of believing. It’s where faith gets it fuel. As soon as we are old enough to walk and talk, we are propelled into higher learning. We place a very high value on education and the systems that promote and supply it. We understand even at the most basic level that education expands one’s capacity because it gives a person the choice to become what they choose. This is possible all because a person is taught to think in a way that is extremely useful.
As believers, we must know that there are no higher thoughts than the thoughts of God. The knowledge of His Word is greater than any other knowledge in all of eternity, and He is so extraordinarily gracious and giving to have given us His Word freely. The world wants us to believe all sorts of things, but God’s Word—God’s thoughts—is the right way of believing. When we saturate our thoughts with God’s Word, our minds are renewed. We then have a mind like Christ, and when we think like Christ, we become like him, for as a person thinks, so is he or she.
We all know or have known people at one time in our lives who have a habit of always seeing the worse in people and in situations. They seem to gravitate towards the negative and are very comfortable with this way of thinking. They will often categorize people that look at things optimistically as unrealistic. You might hear them say things like, “You’re living in a fantasy world.” The weight of negativity pulls them down, and they don’t realize that doubt, fear, and negative thoughts is blinding them. Like a magnet, this darkness draws to them everything else that resonates with a bad attitude. If we allow ourselves to be influenced by people who think and live this way, their negativity will weigh us down as well.
You might be tempted to question if you’re wrong for being optimistic and they’re right for seeing things totally different. Well, Hebrews 4:12(NLT) says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Word is the discerner, not us. His thoughts tell us what and who is right or wrong. 2Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that every part of His Word is God-breathed, and it shows us the truth! God’s Word exposes our rebellion, corrects our mistakes, and trains us to live God’s way. God’s Word is what puts us together in Christ and shapes us up for Heavenly Father’s purpose.
2Timothy 2:15 instructs, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” When God speaks, we have the definitive authority on a subject. There is no more that needs to be said. Heavenly Father doesn’t ever want to see us down, disappointed, in danger or in despair. He gave His only begotten Son to the world so that we could be saved and so that we would have access to a more than abundant life. By studying God’s Word, we can stand approved before Him as good workers. We can believe the right things so that we live righteously and build the life we desire through Jesus Christ.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Right Way of Believing” written by JMack, theChristianMan.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.