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“Many of our thoughts are more than just thoughts.”

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.29). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Norman continues, “They’re rigid beliefs, things we believe to be absolute truth. Often, they’re negative. Often, they’re untrue. Yet we believe them wholeheartedly."

He says, “Isn’t it interesting that the first place human beings turned away from God was in our thoughts? Genesis 6:5 says, ‘Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually’ (NASB).

“It’s also in our thoughts that we need to turn our lives back toward him. While we can’t always choose our thoughts, we do have freedom to choose on which thoughts we dwell. But because we’re ‘dead in trespasses and sins,’ according to Ephesians 2:1 (KJV), we can’t simply determine to banish all toxic thinking, unless God is involved in the process.”

Norman goes on, “So when uninvited, unplanned thoughts pop in, we can learn to automatically evaluate them, asking ourselves, ‘Does this thought contradict the teaching of the Word of God?’ And we can ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.

“The solution isn’t to try to control the content of your mind on your own. Instead, choose to give God the control. Romans 8:5–7 warns, ‘Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.’ (NIV)”

He then says, “Our goal should be to let our mind be controlled by the Spirit. We should want to set it on what God wants…

“At night, I like to go to sleep listening to the music of a particular radio station. It’s a bit tricky to tune in and get the right one. A fraction of a move to the left or the right and I’ll miss it, so I have to work at setting it just right. It’s the same with our mind.

“We have to make sure we have it set just right on what is good and positive.”

Will you strive with me to do that?  Will you?

Yes, yes!
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