RIGHT THINKING

Thoughts Are Powerful

What do you think about? What passes through your mind? Ralph Emerson says a man is what he thinks about all day long. Someone else said that the soul is dyed the color of its thinking. The wise man Solomon said Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”

Our thoughts are powerful even they cannot be seen weighed or even measured. That is why it is so important for us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling which leads to wrong living. Thoughts shape our actions. Someone illustrated the power of a thought this way

Sow a thought, reap an action.

Sow an action, reap a habit.

Sow a habit, reap a character.

Sow a character, reap a destiny!

William Barclay said that if a man thinks of something often enough, he will come to the stage when he cannot stop thinking about it. We are what we think. You might be thinking this morning that you cannot control what your mind thinks. You might feel that you cannot control impure thoughts, but impure thought are like birds. You can’t keep them from flying over your head but you can keep them from building nest in your hair. What are you thinking right now? What should we be thinking of through out the week?

You’ll note in verse 8 that Paul says to dwell on these things. This means to give serious thought or consideration, reflect upon and then let these things shape your conduct. You must allow these things to shape your behavior Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Many times in life will have to call a halt to our negative thinking and forcibly turn our thought to something more constructive. What should we think about

true - that which is genuine and real

In a survey I read Dr’s indicated that only 8% of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern. The other 92% were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control anyway. satan is the father of lies and he wants to believe the lie. You do not know what anybody is thinking. I don’t care how smart you think you, you do not know what someone else is thinking so quit think about it and worrying about what other people are thinking. quit worrying about perceived threats and think about what is true according to God. God is love, compassionate, loving kindness, etc

Jesus - John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 17:17 ““Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 18:37 “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””

honorable - think about things that are noble, good and morally worthy in God’s eyes loving others serving others, honoring father and mother, forgiving, encouraging one another etc.

right - think and do what is right in the sight of God. Jesus once again sums this up Romans 3:23–26 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

pure - morally undefiled, comes form the word holy Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” 1 Peter 2:22 “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;”

lovely - that which provokes a response of love 1 John 3:16 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

of good repute - that which is well spoken of, respectable, noble, commendable, honorable. helping the helpless. Isn’t that what God did thru Jesus

excellence - virtue/moral excellence 2 Peter 1:5–8 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Christ certainly demonstrated these things.

worthy of praise - worthy to give the glory to God

If Paul were to state these things in the negative it might read something like this. Do not let your mind dwell on things that are false or dishonorable or impure or repulsive or disreputable or morally suspect or unworthy.

I think what he saying is to dwell on good things not bad things, dwell on positive things not negative, dwell on things that build up and not tear down. Most importantly dwell on Christ. Take captive every thought in obedience to Christ. Don’t let satan have a foothold in your mind. Quit thinking negatively and think about the positive in Jesus.