 By James H. Cagle |
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23, 24 KJV).
I find very few people including Christians that give their thoughts any serious thought, even though the Scriptures place great importance and have much to say about them.
We are what we think (Proverbs 23: 7). We can’t think one way and live another way, even though we attempt to do so when we want to deceive others. We act on our thinking. We’re responsible for the act and the thought that preceded and generated the act. The first thing out from the heart is thoughts. If the thought is one of murder then the act of murder will follow, or adultery, fornication, theft, lying, and blasphemies (Mt. 15: 19). Thoughts are spiritual and originate in the spirit. They are then, if selected for action, secreted into the brain where they are articulated and then animated into actions by the body.
There are thoughts that we would not have become acts. With our power of choice and self-determination we select those thoughts we would act upon. Our thoughts go through a filter before they become actions.
There are basically two categories that our rational thinking falls into. One is called meta-cognition and the other cognition. Meta-cognition is thinking about or objectifying our thoughts and judging them by the standard of our conscience and giving them moral value. Cognition is the process of thinking our thoughts through, and putting them to action because we’ve approved them by our conscience. It’s putting that thought forward or in motion to act on it whereby the public will know what we’re privately thinking.
Thoughts have moral value. “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD” (Pro. 15:26). “The thought of foolishness (silliness, perverseness) is sin” (Pro. 24: 9). And those who thought upon the name of the Lord were acknowledged and rewarded (Mal. 3: 16, 17). And God knows all our thoughts (Ps. 94: 11).
If we would live a life that’s honoring to God, we must first have thoughts that are God-honoring. We can’t think like a devil and live like a Christian, though I think many people attempt to. If Christ is to be Lord of our practical life, He must first be Lord of our thought life and we must bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 5: 10).
When we get saved we receive the Spirit of Christ. But in order to live the life of Christ we must develop the mind of Christ (Rom. 12: 1, 2; Phil. 2: 5). This life, with the help of the Spirit, is achieved by examining our heart. Our heart is the laboratory of life in which every thought is deciphered and processed as to whether or not it would lead to actions that would honor Christ. We select those thoughts that would honor Him and reject those that wouldn’t. By this method we get into the habit and character of thinking and living the way Christ did. We are all exactly what we let our thoughts make us in to. Our practical life is a by-product of our thought life.
Words are the medium we use to share our thoughts with others for them to think about. God reveals His thoughts and shares them with us through His Word and we should meditate on it.
Thoughts
Think about your thoughts,
And scrutinize them.
Choose then the good ones,
And act upon them.
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Thoughts come from the heart,
Then go to the brain.
Then through the body,
To actions so plain.
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Thoughts are spiritual,
They’re born in the heart.
Some good and some bad,
That you set apart.
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Meta-cognition,
Is thoughts about thoughts.
But cognition is,
Acting on those thoughts.
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We think but don’t think,
At all ‘bout our thoughts.
How our life’s wicked,
Due to wicked thoughts.
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We can’t think one way,
And live another.
Of all our actions,
Thought’s are the mother.
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If we change our thoughts,
Our life will change to.
To get a new life,
We must think anew to.
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For the outward man,
Comes from the inner.
One the by-product,
Of thoughts we prefer.
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Our outer man’s made,
By our inner thoughts.
Our outer man’s clothed,
By our forethought.
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So, we see our thoughts,
Mold and make our life.
We must choose good thoughts,
To have a good life.
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But here we fall short,
For our mind is sinful.
Christ must change our hearts,
For this miracle.
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As thoughts become right,
Our actions do to,
And we are holy,
In what we think and do.
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Our thoughts will help us,
Once Jesus is Lord.
And then as we think,
According to His Word.
James H. Cagle©
