What Do You Think?

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you what to do, that’s good for you.  and even what to think.  And it also reveals the vital importance of it.   Have you ever noticed, that what you think is real?  Even more real than what you are going through.  Your life really is determined by your thoughts, far more than your circumstance.  God said Proverbs 23:7 – As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.  Your life is really how you think.  What you think is what it is, more than what happens.  Two people were sharing recently about their childhood.  One revealed their lifelong emotional struggle with being poor as a child, eating rice and beans.  They had spent their life determined not to be in that position ever again.  The other was somewhat puzzled… they shared that they too, ate rice and beans when they were young.  In fact that’s all they really ate.  Yet they didn’t think they were poor, they thought everybody ate rice and beans.  Two people can live the exact same life, one thinks they’re rich, the other thinks they’re poor.  And they both become right.  Your life is really what you think.  That’s why God tells us in His Word what to think so your life can be good.  Your life can be bad or good if you think it is, So, what do you think?  God tells us a few things about what to think.   First, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.  (Romans 12:3) If you aren’t humble, pride will come, and then disgrace, (Proverbs 11:2) because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) Second, If you think you are standing, be careful lest you fall.  (I Cor 10:12) Don’t let your mind lull you into complacency.  Be on your guard, you have an enemy of your soul.  Don’t be naïve, just know that greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. (I John 4:4)  Third, Paul said, (in Philippians 3) I think of everything as loss compared to the value of knowing Christ, and becoming like Him…  He said I do not think I have already attained this, or have arrived at my goal… I just press on – I keep going to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of me.  Paul’s thinking was that the greatest value is to be like Christ, not gain the things of the world.  He thought differently.  Fourth, God said to count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds. (James 1:2) God said, Think of trials as joy not inconvenience or suffering.  So what do you think?  Do you think this trial that you now face is joy?  Do you take joy in this trial?  God is giving you this joy so you develop perseverance, which turns to character which produces hope.  If you choose to think of this trial as joy, you’ll always be joyful.  Your life will be full of joy – because of how you think.  One woman, got healed from a disease that had plagued her for twelve years.  Because she thought, if I just touch the end of His garment I will be healed.   Everyone didn’t think that, but she did.  She was right.  How she determined to think, became her life. Finally, God not only tells us how to think, but what to think on… So what do you think?  Are you deceiving yourself, do you think you are standing when you could easily fall?  Do you think of yourself more highly than should? Or do you think of others more highly than yourself?  Do you overlook faults in others?  Do you think of trials as joy?  This trial?   Do you consider things as though they are, that are not yet?  Does your faith affect your thoughts, or do your thoughts limit your faith?  (Proverbs 23:7 – For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.) So what do you think?  Your life is determined by your thoughts more than your circumstance.  Your thoughts about your life, are right.  They can become a self-fulfilling prophesy.  So what does God say to think?  He gives a great place to start.  Philippians 4:8 – Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things.  That means if it’s not, - don’t think about it.  So what do you think?  Praying that you will decide to think like God thinks, and like He tells you to think.  So the God of peace will be with you, and your life will be everything that He has for you! 
 
Love you all,
dad