All available sources of information generally go to construct our thoughts. The things we experience through our senses, our imaginations, our dreams, and our memories, all contribute in forming an information reservoir for thoughts. To a large degree, we have control over the information we permit to enter our intellectual collection centre. From this reservoir, we deliberately initiate thoughts. Similarly, from the same resource centre, other thoughts are spontaneously triggered by our subconscious minds. Either way, both the collection of data and how those thoughts develop once they enter our cognitive minds is our responsibility for the most part.
The power of thought enables us to evaluate and understand all sorts of things, to construct creative plans, and to distinguish between, good, best, bad, and worst, plus make decisions. Many of us simply allow thoughts to run without restraint and without boundaries. This, in part, determines the effort required to bring our thoughts under God honouring control as Christians.
We have been given the word of God (which) is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is God’s primary tool used by His Spirit to educate us according to His righteousness. No other resource is able to achieve the depth of inner examination and correction as God’s Word. While this world happily rockets along concerned with the surface pleasures of life, they neglect the deep and eternal issues which are of greatest importance.
So, when we read God’s Word, realise that His intention is for your thoughts and intentions of the heart to be exposed to you and for you to submit your thoughts and intentions of the heart to His Lordship. Few thoughts are ever neutral, and this is never truer than when you read God’s Word. While thoughts are NOT self-authoritative, they do need to be consciously brought by us into alignment with the truths of God.
People who are consumed with self and live an active self-centred thought life do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, (Micah 4:12) but they need to. Every believer needs to accept their responsibility to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).
While many think of their thought life as a secret haven for independence and sinful pleasure, they wrongly assume that their thoughts are hidden from all others, including God – WRONG! In Matthew 9:4, Jesus confronted some self-righteous scribes who disapproved of Him forgiving a man of his sin and then healing him of being a paralytic. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? Attractive appearances and self-righteous words cannot hide or rectify the evil thoughts which may exist within our hearts. God knows them and they are self-condemning even though we may hide them from others.
Today, I invite you to consciously invite the Lord Jesus Christ into your thought life to begin any needed reconstruction work. Invite Him to open to you your true inner heart intentions towards God. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). These are early steps towards a God directed thought life.
To be continued…
