Your Thoughts are Important

(Prov 14:22 NIV) Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon reminds us about the importance of our thoughts. We all know people who do evil and here Solomon explains to us how many of them arrive at their malicious destination: they plan it.

The wicked receive a sort of misguided pleasure from plotting and planning to do evil against others. Their thoughts eventually lead them astray. They can’t plan (all day long) to do evil to others and then walk in righteousness themselves. Why? Because you can’t disconnect yourself form your thoughts.

Later in Proverbs Solomon teaches, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” (23:7). The way you think is the way you are. Not only that, but the way you think is also who you will become. If you think you can or you think you can’t, either way, you’re right! Your thoughts say a great deal about you, NOW, and who you will become in the future.

Solomon’s teaching make absolute sense. If you plot evil you will eventually become evil. You will disconnect yourself from God and you will go astray. However, is you plan to do good, if you seek the good in others, and you are always on the lookout for ways to be a blessing, then you will find love and faithfulness. God will reward you with His best, because your mind and your heart are filled with thoughts of His best!

So does that mean that those you have filled their minds and hearts with the wrong thoughts are hopeless? Absolutely not! You can change the way you think through the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:1,2). So how do you do it? Well, let’s look at what Moses said about training our children. We can glean some insight from him.

Moses said, “So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates” (Deut 6:5-9).

The first thing Moses told the Israelites to do was to Love God. Your love for God must be settled in your heart. After that, the key is memorizing His Word. You can’t teach what you don’t know. You can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t lead where you have not been. If you truly love God and you commit His Word to memory, you are well on your way to taking control of your own mind, and you will then be able to impart the same into your children. Moses even gave them instructions on how to train children. Moses taught the people keep the Word of God before their eyes.

Why? Because Moses knew that the eye is a gate to the body and if we fill the eye gate with Word of God we will eventually become what we consistently behold.

So what does this mean to you ? It means that your thoughts are utterly important. You are who you think you are! But if you have been struggling in your thought life, don’t get discouraged, there is hope! You can change. If you change your input, you can change your thinking. If you change your thinking, you will change your planning. If you change your thinking (what you ponder now) and your planning (what you see for your future) you have changed!

Your renewed thoughts will lead to renewed action!
Father, I take control of my thought-life and I become the person You desire for me to be. I refuse to plot and plan evil. I refuse to fill my mind and my heart with the wrong things. I check my input, because I know that if I listen to the wrong things and think the wrong thoughts, I will become the wrong person. I declare, right now, by faith, that my I will keep Your Word and Your love at the forefront of my mind continually. I will line up my thoughts with Your Word and I seek ONLY to do good to others. I will see the best in others; even in those that come up against me. I plan to do good and I find love and faithfulness along the way! In Jesus’ name. Amen!