Week 71: Thinking - Change your Thinking, Change your Life

General thoughts about THINKING

Thinking is one of the hardest works there is; it take time, energy and concentration, which probably the reason why so few rather prefer to sit back watch TV and let the advertisements do their thinking than seriously engaged in it. George Bernard Shaw once writes, “Only 5% of the people think. Only 15% think they think. The other 80% would rather die than think.” Those who are ‘rather die than think’ remind me of those who easily believe everything what people say or do. I once received a text messages (SMS) that says: “End of the world is coming soon… [bla… bla… bla..] If you don’t forward this message to 5 of your best friend, something bad will happen to you.” Now, that’s the ultimate foolishness! And you know what? I received dozens of forward messages on that day… what a shame when people just don’t think.

Frank Outlaw remarked, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become you character. Watch your character, they become your destiny.” In my own word; good thinking produce good outcome, bad thinking produce bad outcome. Period. Those who embrace good thinking as a lifestyle understand that the quality of their life depends on the quality of their thoughts. They realize that to change their lives, they must change their thinking. John C. Maxwell in his book titled Think on These Things said, “Your life today is a result of your thinking yesterday. Your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today.”

In his another book Think for a Change, John outlines 5 thoughts about thinking:

1.     Everything begins with a thought.

“Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2.     What we think determines who we are. Who we are determines what we do.

“The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.” – John Locke

3.     Our thoughts determine our destiny. Our destiny determines our legacy.

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” – James Allen

4.     People who go to the top think differently than others.

Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed thinking.” – William Arthur Ward

5.     We can change the way we think.

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Paul the apostle

Thoughtful Christians thought about THINKING          

What you think about doesn’t just come from your mind but from your heart. Your thoughts tell you the condition of your heart because your every action, the things you say, and the thing you desire to become begins as a thought. Our natural human heart, as the Scriptures in Jeremiah 17:9 clearly say, is “the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

Then, how to think good and godly thoughts if our heart is so ‘desperately wicked’?

The ultimate answer for this hopeless situation is this: - trust God’s Word. Filled your thought with the Word of God because it comes from God’s heart, which is good and perfect. Ronald A. Beers stated, “Your heart, your thoughts, and your actions are all tied up together. Losing control of one little thought can lead to great tragedy. Only the self-control that comes from knowing and following God’s heart can help you tame this wild trio. When God controls your heart, your heart will inspire your mind to produce godly thoughts, which will produce godly actions. Your thoughts absolutely matter!”  

Here are my suggestions that might be helpful for your Spiritual Growth in the Discipline of Thinking (P.s: I’m still learning too!):

Get Time to Think

It is more necessary than many realize, absolutely necessary! For without time to think our spiritual life cannot grow. In our daily living, we hear too much of the voice of man – get time to hear the voice of God.

Acquire the Habit of Thinking

I copied this quote in my Quote Book long time ago, ‘The mind quickly form habits just as the body does, and if those habits are habits of idleness or day-dreams or vanity, the mind will soon become useless for thinking. Discipline your mind! Keep still and think. Think deeply, and so become deep. Think regularly, and so acquire the habit of thinking.’

What shall we Think?

Again, Paul the apostle, leading by the Holy Spirit of God, writes;

“Fix your thoughts on what is true [that is correspondence with God, in the likeness of Him who is the truth] and honorable [‘honest’, ‘noble’, ‘grave’, ‘reverend’] and right [or ‘just’, to be really just is to be right with God]. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8NLT, italic mine) Put this into practice and ‘God peace will be with you’ (4:9).

THINK BIG You are not what you think you are. What you think, you are.

START SMALL Get time to think, acquire the habit of thinking and think about godly things

GO DEEP God’s heart is good and perfect thus His Word is Truth,
therefore filled your mind and heart with God’s Word.

P.s: Finish… oh, thinking is tiring…

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References:

·        John C. Maxwell, Thinking for a Change: 11 ways Highly Successful People approach Life and Work. 2003, Center Street.

·        Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker’s Quote Book. 2009, Kregel Publications.

·        The Expositor’s Dictionary of Texts (Volume 2); 1 Corinthians through Revelation. 1978, Baker House Company.