Divine Thinking: Instructions in Godly Thinking

I believe that you can direct what goes on in your life by what goes on in your mind. Proverbs 23:7 says: “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he….” Unless your thought life is connected to and guided by God, it can be dangerous to be left alone in your own mind. We can hurt ourselves and our relationships. Just like Adam did, we have the tendency to receive suggestions from satan and create a reality for ourselves that does not represent the whole truth and is not God’s will for our lives. We will treat enemies as friends and friends as strangers. We will believe that good is bad, and that bad is normal. However, it was never God’s intent for us to think like this.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians, 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (KJV) This scripture shows that God will not allow us to think any ole’ way. While the concept may be unpleasant, God wants to brainwash us. You change your mind by the washing of your brain, the renewing of your mind, every day. Think of the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; think of things to praise, not to condemn. You have control over what you think. The Bible encourages us to “take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV) We have the ability God has given us to reject and dismantle thoughts that are negative and corrupt and, instead, to fit every thought, emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by the way Christ thinks. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to think like Jesus did: “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5, KJV) However, nothing will change until you first begin to change your mind.

There are segments of our society that have already adopted a mindset of “change your mind, change your life.” The military has a specific way of thinking which only makes sense to the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. Those outside of the military do not usually understand military customs, principles, thinking or speech. For example, mottoes such as “duty, honor and country” or “leave no man behind” have particular significance to an Army Ranger or a Marine. The military even tells time differently than civilians. While the outside world doesn’t always understand the military mindset, the world accepts it and envies its discipline. Those of us who are Christians should also adopt a mindset that sets us apart from the world. In Revelation 5:10, God calls us “priests” and “kings.” We are not God, but we are His royal race of people. Through Jesus Christ, we are saved, changed and set free. We are far better than we think we are. We are far greater than we think we are. We should think this way about ourselves. However, if we adopt a worldly mindset, we will be conflicted in how we feel about God and ourselves. We will trade what God says about Himself and us for what the world says about Him and us. That conflict between what God says and what the world says is a product of a worldly nature, our old nature. Differentiate your old nature, some call it your lower nature – negative, pessimistic and fearful – from the new nature you are creating with and in God. That new nature is powerful. It holds thoughts that are greater and better than the world’s thoughts.

There are many ways to think about yourself and your life. The media bombards us with many messages about how you should think about yourself and your world. In many ways, that is bad. Too many choices can make you confused, but having many choices also gives you the freedom to think exactly the way that is most profitable for you. Since we can think however we want to think, I challenge you to think this way: think beautiful, instead of ugly, rich instead of poor. Think that you are strong and not weak. Think and believe that the way to receive something is by giving something. Think faith and do not doubt. Think that if you show kindness or perform an act of service to someone, God repays the kindness or act of love. “Buy into” the mindset of God the way a soldier buys into the mindset of the military. In Romans 7:25, the Bible says that we serve the law of the Lord with our minds. We can have the same type of discipline that we see in the military. Discipline comes not from the outside, but from the inside; it is the ability or determination to control what you think, not just what you do. Discipline, first, starts with how you think and perceive a situation. If you think you can achieve something, then you can and will achieve it. If you think you can’t achieve anything or can’t make any changes in yourself or to the situation, then you will make no changes at all. No situation will change in your life – not your money, your relationships or your walk with God -- unless you, first, change your mind about yourself and the situation.