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As He Thinks So He Is
By
Mark Baker
The thought life is the beginning of victory or the beginning of
defeat. Victories are won and lost here. The battle starts here and is won or
lost here. Much is said in God's Word about our thoughts and what we do
with them.
Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and
drink!'' he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
You are not going to be victorious if you are always walking in a
defeated attitude. You will not even fight because you see yourself as
having already lost the battle, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
God has a better way for His children. As a matter of fact He has
already set the example for us in His thoughts toward us.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says
the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a
hope.
If God will not think bad or evil thoughts toward us, who are we think
bad or negative thoughts toward ourselves? We shouldn’t. As a man
thinks in his heart, so is he.
This is not just talking about the male gender but mankind as a whole.
As you think in your heart so you are. That is a pretty sobering
thought isn’t it? What are your thoughts?
Many would say I can’t help what I say. God's Word says yes you can
therefore you can, but there are some steps we all must take.
Your mind is sort of like driving a car; you have a steering wheel that
controls the direction of the car. If you turn it to the right it will
go right and if you turn it left it goes left. That is such an obvious
statement that it sounds silly, however the same principle applies to
our Christian life. This very simple principle of God's Word is ignored
by the great majority of Christian believers. I see it all the time .I
am not saying this to point my finger, as I was there once myself, but
to encourage people into a better way. It is something we all must
continually put into practice.
Do you think anybody just went into a bank one day and robbed it
without premeditation?
I don’t think so. He would first have put much thought into what he was
going to do. You have the choice to turn yourself over to these kinds
of thoughts. They don’t just happen without your permission.
Do you think someone would have an adulterous affair with absolutely no
thought about it first, no again? As a man thinks in his heart so he
is. You begin steering your mind into an unlawful U turn before you
actually turn the wheel don’t you. If you put enough thought into it, you
most likely eventually do it. Change your thoughts.
We can turn our mind into the things that pertain to life and
Godliness.
The other side of the coin so to speak is that we can turn our minds
into the things of God.
God has given us very powerful weapons to help us control our thoughts
and in turn fulfill prove God's Word true.
2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5. casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ,
6. and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is
fulfilled.
Thoughts can become strongholds or they can be the vehicle we steer to
the obedience of Christ. Cast down these worldly thoughts and replace
them with God's thoughts.
The Apostle Paul said to the Romans …
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Your mind is renewed by God's Word; it is not renewed by watching
television or playing video games. I am not saying not to watch television
or play video games, but if television or video games is more important
to you than God, then you will program the computer that is your mind
with these things rather than God's Word. The choice is ours and ours
alone to make. Too much of anything can be a bad thing. The Apostle Paul
said …
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are
not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought
under the power of any.
Things that are lawful can dominate us and bring us under their power
if we let them.
We must cast down these worldly thoughts and replace them with God's
thoughts. We do this by changing what we think on. What we put into our
minds is what will go into our hearts and eventually be what comes out
of hearts abundance. As Jesus said …
Matthew 12:34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good
things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth
good things, and an evil
man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
We can’t let out hearts get full of the wrong things. In order to
prevent that from happening, we must not allow our minds to spend too much
time on things that are lawful but at the same time not expedient.
Too much ice cream can be a bad thing. Too much of any good thing can be
bad for you. So, enough said.
We have control over our thoughts and our thoughts have control over
our faith and our faith has control over our destiny.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there
is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these
things.
The Apostle Paul is telling us what to think on, or literally to
meditate on these things.
Strong’s definition says to take an inventory, and also, to reason,
reckon, suppose, think (on).
Something happens in this process. Some people think of meditation as
some kind of mystic eastern religious thing, but this is not what God's
Word is saying at all.
When you spend time pondering God's Word, it will change you like
nothing else I know can. It will renew and transform your mind which will
allow you to prove the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
You might say, what is proving God's Word. Proving God's Word to be
true is seeing God's Word and God's will manifest in your life and that
of your families. This is God's will for us. Remember what His thoughts
are toward us. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says
the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a
hope. Our part is to do what His Word says to do in order for the
purpose and divine will of God to be manifest in our lives. This is God
will.
I want to end with a favorite Scripture of mine.
Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have good success.
When we follow God's directions we get God's results. W.E. Vines Old
Testament dictionary says this means "to meditate, moan, growl, utter,
speak." to murmur; by implication, to ponder:
You are thinking and pondering and then literally speaking out of your
mouth what you have been pondering.
Lets prove God's Word true, He is no respecter of persons. He wants our
way successful.
About the Author:
Article by Mark Baker. Mark is the webmaster of The
Olive Branch,
http://www.olivebranchministries.us, a site dedicated to help others
come into a deeper understanding of who they are in Christ. Please visit
his site for more free studies and resources to help you on your
journey.
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