Out of my mind…

 
Two people told me they will not drive two particular highways because they are afraid of the speed and traffic on those roads. We drove both of them that same day without fear and it made me think about the way fear can keep me from doing some things, like para-sailing and mountain skiing.

However, the Bible says: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) While I could excuse some fears about dangerous behavior, today’s devotional points to the power of thoughts. Fear might keep me from doing something foolish, but it can also keep me from enjoying the blessings of God. This passage comes to mind:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4–7)

Rejoicing in the Lord, living right before others, and praying about everything with thanksgiving is a formula for peaceful hearts. The very next verse show that having a peaceful heart is also related to how I think and how I let those thoughts govern what I do:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8–9)

Jesus said this about having a pure heart: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) yet He also said:

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. (Mark 7:21–23)

Clearly He connects what I think about with how I live. He even exposed hypocrisy by saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 15:8) He knew that our sinfulness can think evil but we can hide it by godly talk and even the appearance of goodness.

Many times, Jesus and the NT writers pointed to how we think. For example, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” (Romans 12:17) In other words, think about doing good. It does affect my words and actions.

However, I realize the challenge of having good thoughts. I’ve often prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24) Besides asking God to show me stinking thinking, He gives this instruction about the battle for good thoughts:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3–6)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

PRAY: Thank You Jesus for giving me Your mind and your Word so I can dwell on good thoughts. Recognizing contrary thoughts can be subtle, like James 2 illustrates regarding prejudice, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, You can help me give thought to my ways (Proverbs 21:29) but also give thought to my thoughts. Enable them to be true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and about what is worthy of praise, that You are glorified in my mind as well as in words and actions. Amen.