Thinking God’s thoughts

One of my high school teachers told the class, “Do not think about a red apple.” Of course, none of us could obey her. Our minds tend to go where we are told not to go, as this teacher illustrated. The opposite is also true. Had she said to think about the apple, we would be able to do it, but all sorts of other thoughts would immediately vie for our attention.

God knows all about this. He commands that we think pure and healthy thoughts, but merely telling us to do that does not make it happen. Our sinful nature is not interested or able to totally control what we think about. However, there is good news . . .

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:3–8)

There are two ways to look at these verses. One view considers this a black and white issue; a person is either in Christ and therefore in the Spirit, or not a believer and therefore in the flesh.

The other view is that Christians can live according to the Spirit because they are yielded to Him and controlled by Him, or we can live according to the flesh because we have yielded to sin and are controlled by our own desires.

Theologically, the first interpretation seems correct, but experientially, most Christians will recognize that the second is more like what happens. We are God’s holy people, but like newly drafted solders, we have to learn to act like what we are. Sometimes we ‘tip over’ and our old fleshy nature has its way, drawing us into sinful thinking. This does not mean we go in and out of a saved state, but it does mean we go in and out of who and what is running our lives.

The answer to this problem after the tipping over is 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God graciously forgives those lapses into sin and sinful thinking, yet the command remains; we are to think His thoughts. How can that happen? 

Tozer says that the best way to control our thoughts is to offer our minds to God in complete surrender and the Holy Spirit will accept that offer and take immediate control. He adds that thinking on spiritual things will become easier, especially if we train our thought by long periods of daily prayer. As the Bible says, prayer without ceasing is the spiritual discipline of mentally talking to God, and this helps to form the habit of holy thinking.

For me, this has not been easy. My scattered mind, vivid imagination, interest in everything, and so on, have been my excuses, yet now I understand something that was unclear in the past. Much of my thought-life has been based on the stuff unyielded to God. Anything I wanted to control or thought that I could do myself without His help interfered with setting my mind on Him. He changed that notion by proving He controls all things. My entire life is by His grace, including every breath that I take. I cannot control or do anything without His permission and help.

Tozer says: “This is what the Holy Spirit brings to us, the vision of the Lord, power to see divine things as God sees them.” And this makes a difference. God sees my helpless estate and my foolish ambitions. He knows the strongholds in my mind and knows how to break them down, releasing me from the bondage of always wanting my own way and thinking that I can do whatever I please.

Tozer also says that, “The Spirit also thinks in us by giving us divine instincts, intuitions and enablements.” This is the most wonderful experience — to know the will of God. This is not about continually searching the Scriptures (even though that is a good idea), but about His thoughts flowing through my head, there because my own thoughts have been exposed and whisked away.

In the long run, the prayer without ceasing part is not so much a cause of mental discipline, but the result of the Holy Spirit’s working in my mind. He puts my focus on what is important, and all other thoughts lose their appeal. I could not do that without His enabling.  

^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, this change is wonderful, but rather than focus on the change, my mind is on You. You are the center, the reason and the source of all that is pure and good. Hold and fill my thoughts with the goodness of You.