How's Your Thought Life?

"What we are afraid to do before men, we should be afraid to think before God."  ~Beilby Porteus

Sometimes I struggle with the thoughts that fill my mind.  I get grumpy with my husband or children or fellow church member and stew over something they said or did.  Thoughts about all that I need to accomplish overwhelm and discourage me.  Envy tries to creep in as I allow comparisons with other people.

Obviously what we think about is important.  Proverbs 23:7 says, " For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.."  What is in my heart flows into my thoughts and results in my words and my actions.

What types of thoughts should I avoid?  Here are a few ideas.

• Worry.  Whether it's worrying about today or the future, worry doesn't do any good.  Philippians 4:6 tells me to "be careful for nothing" while I Peter 5:7 counsels me to cast all my care on Him.
• Fear.  Closely related to worry, thoughts of fear take my eyes off of Jesus and put them on my surroundings.  "God has not given us the spirit of fear" according to II Timothy 1:7.
• Negative thoughts including bitterness, gossip, comparison, and guilt.
• Proud thoughts.  We know from many verses in the Bible what God thinks about pride.

I can't let my thoughts run rampant or they will tend toward those wrong thoughts.  II Corinthians 10:5 tells us that we should be "....bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..."    I Peter 1:13 says we are to "gird up the loins of your mind."

What, then, should I think about?  Certainly Philippians 4:8 gives us guidelines in this area.  "....Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

How we have to guard what goes into our mind as those are the things we will think about!  Here are a few ways to cultivate those good thoughts.

• Memorize and meditate on Scripture.
• Listen to uplifting music.
• Count your blessings.
• Keep prayer requests for others in the forefront of your mind.
• Focus on a characteristic of God.
• Dwell on a promise of God.
• Read good books.
• Avoid worldly entertainment.

The verse I posted for my 31 Days of Psalms on Saturday was Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."  This should be the ultimate goal for my thought life.  God has redeemed me from the power of sin which includes freeing my mind from wrong thoughts. 

May He Who knows all our thoughts empower us so that our thought life is pleasing to Him.