Be Careful How You Think

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU THINK; YOUR LIFE IS SHAPED BY YOUR THOUGHTS. Proverbs 4.23.

Have you ever been pestered by bad or even evil thoughts? I am sure you have! You cannot escape it, neither can you help it. But you can deal with it! You need to know ‘how’ and practise it. We cannot summarily dismiss these thoughts from our minds. The more you struggle to get rid of the thoughts, the more your mind will be thinking about them! The thoughts might even lead you to sin.

There are two biblical and effective ways you can deal with wrong and evil thoughts. The apostle Paul told the Colossian believers the secret. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col 3.5). There is no other decisive way to deal with evil thoughts and desires but to “kill” them as soon as they enter your mind! That’s how serious it is. But it may not be as easy as you think. They won’t easily go away. The more you do not want to think of those things, the more you will be thinking about them! Have you experienced it? What are we to do then?

The apostle counsels us to take the second step. “Brothers, 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 about such things” (Phil 4.8). We have a ‘one track mind’. We can think only of one thing at one time. The moment we introduce a new thought, it will replace the old one! You have experienced this I am sure.

There is yet another way to deal with evil thoughts. Remember the brave young man, Joseph? When the temptation was so strong, he thought of God and His commandment. He thought to himself, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen 39.9). But that was not enough. He did more than trying to change his thoughts. He deliberately changed the situation where his thoughts would have continued to be evil, leading to sin. He ran out and caused the offending circumstance also to be changed.

Dear believer, you who are bothered by thoughts that belong to our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, must renew your mind and thought according to our new nature which is of God (Col 3.5,6).

You must also make it your regular habit to fill your heart and mind with things pure and praiseworthy. Reading, meditating and learning by heart God’s Word are good ways of doing so! It will also help to guard you from sin (Psa 119.11). Remember today’s text, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, may Your Holy Spirit help me to be careful of what I think. May Your Spirit guard my mind and thoughts from evil. May He help me to fill my heart and mind with Your Word. Amen.