Download WHAT ARE YOU THINKING

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?
CLIP (German Coast Guard)
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…..(NIV – always thinking
about the cost)
I have recently been reminded (had a deep conviction) of the
immense impact that our thinking has on our Christian walk, on
our Joy, on our Faith, our Attitude, in fact every aspect of our
lives….
And this is why we are told to …
2 Corinthinans 10:4-5
4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Research findings by Dr Jack Haskins…
Control group exposed to 5 minutes of bad news on a daily
basis, he discovered four discernible effects on them :
1. They were more Depressed & down than before
2. they Believed the world was a negative place
3. they were less likely to help others
4.
Believed that the negative/bad things they heard would
actually happen to them personally.
In summary, their concept of Reality was shaped by their
thoughts.
Picture a TRAIN….
THINKING (our Thoughts) >EMOTIONS >BEHAVIOUR>CONSEQUENCES
Is the ENGINE
1st carriage
2nd Carriage……3rd carriage
There are only two trains you can catch…..& they are going in
totally opposite directions…. & the STATION from which they
leave are both IN YOUR & MY HEAD!!!!
-2Train 1: Wrong (untrue) thinking = ENGINE
– drags behind it the following carriages :
– the carriage of Negative Destructive Emotions (sadness,
fear, hopelessness, depression, frustration, unloving,
distrustful…)
– & then the Carriage of Unwise/foolish Decisions &
Behaviour(because I am sad & hopeless, I give up on life
& even on God, I consider suicide & I have violent
outbursts of anger) Bad Habits, breed from these thoughts
& Emotions … maybe drinking, drugs, parties etc
– & this leads to the final carriage of devastating
consequences, resulting in serious health issues, broken
relationships with others & with God.
–
It is not possible to live an influential & fruitful life for the
kingdom if your mind is filled with flawed, pessimistic,
cynical thinking (always seeing the wrong & the bad &
believing the lies of the enemy as though they were truth)
& in fact this is PARTNERING with the enemy....
Train 2 : Right (True, Good) Thinking = ENGINE
A Mind flourishing with the deep truths of God is a powerful tool
in HIS hands
- these carriages follow a life with this type of thinking :
- Carriage 1 : Positive Emotions – Joy, trust, thankfulness,
Love
- Carriage 2 : Wise Decisions & Behavior – great
relationships with others & especially with God, as we
understand who He is accurately, we make decisions for
Holiness & to Honour God with our lives.
Carriage 3: Fruitful Consequences – Blessed relationships
between you & others, your family & especially with God.
Great Christians, thought Great thoughts about God.
Ie. Augustine, Martin Luther, CS Lewis, Dwight Moody & many,
many others, you can see the fruitful outcomes in their lives.
-3God actually commands that we think Great/Positive/Right
Thoughts, one of these is in Philipans 4:6-8
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
NASB (New American Standard Bible)= “Dwell” on these things….Linger
there, don’t rush, fill your mind & your thinking with such things…
soak it up like a sponge, until totally saturated...
Look at these 7 things that Paul encouraged us to think on :
1. TRUE - before you entertain anything, ask yourself, “Is this
really TRUE?” Would Jesus agree with this?
2. NOBLE (Honourable)- worthy of respect. Ask yourself,
“Does this Honour God which I am thinking about?”
3. RIGHT- implies Justice & Righteousness which is only found
in it’s fullness in the Father & Jesus. Ask yourself, “ Is this
RIGHT or WRONG?”
4. PURE – comes from the same root word as “Holy”.. this is
about Internal Integrity.. If my thoughts were displayed on
the screen for all to see. How would I feel?
5. LOVELY- Things that call forth a response of LOVE (Agape)
not EROS Love… Is my mind filled with “true Beauty”?
6. ADMIRABLE (of good repute) – “Fair Speaking” literally Are these Thoughts fit for God’s Hearing?
7.
EXCELLENT & PRAISEWORTHY. – of Moral Excellence,
thoughts that should encourage & motivate us to Godly
Behaviour & walking closely with the Lord.
Paul also then says in verse 9, Practice these things in your life,
don’t JUST think about them.
-4YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK (EAT)
Much of our thinking is habitual….
In fact most of our lives are made up of habits… go to sleep the
same time, wake up the same time, brush your teeth the same
way, same route or bus to work everyday, coffee at the same
time etc…
Let me demonstrate this physically though our EATING habits…
Person 1 : Lazy Louis
Eats, Donuts, Pies, chips, hamburgers & chocolates, Drinks :
Coke, Coffee & they hardly get off the couch (their remote is
there best friend).. so hardly ever do much exercise…. We can
predict what level of physical health this person will have down
the line… might not see it immediately, but just wait…
Person 2 : Healthy Helen
Eats : Cereal, Fish & Chicken (no skin), vegetables & fruit &
exercises a few times a week. This person can expect a
different health prognosis…
NB : So do you agree that what we put into our mouth will
determine the quality of life our physical bodies will have….??
Paul simply says the same principle applies to what we put into
our minds & how it affects the Quality of our Spiritual lives.
If you are on a diet of “mental junk food”, your spiritual health
will show….
But if on the other hand, like the second person, you feed your
mind on a diet full of Eternal Truths, on the character & nature
of God & His promises, your spiritual health will over time prove
stronger &stronger, more consistent & longer lasting than ever
before (standing the test of time/life's bumps).
-5John Stott says, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an
action, reap a habit. Sow a habit reap a character. Sow a
character, reap a Destiny.”
So what is your Mental Diet….?
Do you spend enough time, dwelling in & mediating on the
scriptures….in His presence.... God's Presence together with His
Holy Spirit...
What do you think about when you drive?
What do you listen to at home?
What channel does the remote control take you to?
Romans 12:2, “2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his
good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ultimately, don't we all want to line our lives up with God's will
for us?? (I'd like to believe that).
How do we RENEW our mind, how do we think great thoughts
(what is the source of these thoughts?)
1. Start with Scripture – where else will we learn the Thoughts
of God Himself. The whole Bible is God’s thoughts put
down on paper for our benefit.
If you want to be FREE from FEAR, from Anxiety, from the
Expectations of Others, from those habits that enslave you
& those negative emotions…. Saturate your mind with the
TRUTH until you absorb it… these revelations will cultivate
Great THOUGHTS.!!
2.
Just SOAK in His Presence – one moment in His presence
can change a heart/a man forever. Psalm 84 says, Better
is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere...
How can we be so obsessed about the Nutritional content of
everything we put in our mouths, how many carbs, how
many KJ’s. (Can of food to demonstrate)
-6But yet we are so CASUAL about what goes into our Mind…
we watch & listen to garbage that desensitizes us to what is
Right & Wrong & then we end up in Counselling & we don’t
know how we got to this bad place (remember the train)…
3. Take Time to notice the Beauty of what God has Created
It is good for your soul, to get out in nature...
It is impossible to dwell on the beauty of creation &
remain self-absorbed & negative.
4.
5.
Meditate on Who God is, on His power, His Awesomeness,
this will energize & inspire you, these thoughts alone have
the power to pull you out of any Emotional pit that you
may find yourself in.
Meditate on the Personal Spiritual Insights that the Holy
Spirit has given you, don’t just rush on & say God speak to
me… He has & now he wants you to understand & apply
this revelation, this insight to your life.
Be careful not to COMPARE yourself to others, you will lose
every time.. There are only two possible conclusions you
can arrive at & both are going to be very unhelpful for
you to win this battle in your mind....either end up on one
extreme feeling Superior – I am better than this person &
PRIDE kicks in or at the opposite end feeling INFERIOR – I
am worse off & ENVY & Jelousy bites you.
Don’t dwell on your insecurities (we all have them), but
rather dwell on your Identity in Christ.
Some KEY THINKING to be brought into line with the Truth
Learning to think Great Thoughts is a constant, lifelong
process. Here are seven areas that are most critical that
we bring our minds into alignment with the Truth.
-71. Think great thoughts ABOUT GOD
Romans 11:33-36… “Who has known the mind of the
Lord?”
We cannot attribute the consequences of our bad
decisions & behaviour to HIS Character & nature.
Our view of God must be HIGH.
2.
Think Great thoughts ABOUT YOURSELF
Yes, Romans 12:3 says & it is it is true, “do not think more
highly of yourself than you ought, but rather think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the
measure of faith God has given you.
But in the same breath, understand, how much He loves
you & how much you need His Grace & Mercy…
Let Zephaniah 3:15-17 stretch your mind a bit this morning
15The
LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned
back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm. 16On that day they will say
to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang
limp. 17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He
will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he
will rejoice over you with singing."
So you can't be that bad after all if HE delights & rejoices in
YOU! Yes YOU!
3.
Think Great Thoughts About OTHERS
How does the world (even us) look at other people?
91.9% of people in a survey said that an attractive
physical appearance was conducive to being hired into
a better working environment & ultimately earning more.
-853.8% - said they would be prepared to undergo cosmetic
surgery to alter their physical features….
But How does God look at other people?...
1 Samuel 16:7, “7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not
consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected
him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD
looks at the heart."
We need to UP our view of OTHERS, start believing the BEST
in people, not second guessing their motives or their heart
& giving them the benefit of the doubt when they “mess
up” in our eyes.
4.
Think great thoughts ABOUT LIFE (as a whole)
Life is not about acquiring & accumulating fancy Stuff or ,
impressing some people & exploiting others.
No, it is about discovering God’s agenda, taking up your
cross & following Jesus.
We see Jesus’ perspective on life in Luke 9:23-25
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after
me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is
it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit
his very self?
You lose your life in the process BUT you gain HIS life!!
(What a deal!!!).
I hope you are not just SURVIVING in life or asking God, “Is
this all there is?”
-95.
Think great thoughts ABOUT the FUTURE
Jeremiah 29:11-13 is a great place to start….
11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future. 12Then you will call upon me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will
seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart.
Believe this personally!!! (Bev Rothman prayed on Wed)
Worry, Anxiety & Fear are NOT great thoughts, but Faith in
God’s Promises are.
6.
Think great thoughts ABOUT THE PAST
For too many people, Christians included… it is sad that
their FUTURE’S are crippled by their PAST.
Phil 3:13-15a, “13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to
have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is
behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature
should take such a view of things.
Yes, we might have a past, but it has been dealt with if we
have come to Jesus….
Psalm 103:12
12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
7.
Think great thoughts ABOUT CHALLENGES in LIFE
Too easily we let adversity, difficulties, the “sukkeling” of life get
us down & depressed, get us negative & cynical, pessimistic
about how things will turn out.
-10We take on a victim mentality “why me?” or “woe is to me”
attitude. (The hands hang limp...)
We get angry with ourselves, others & God Himself.
We wallow in the “raw deals of life”, the disappointments, the
investment that went sour….the only IF's of life...
James says that this is how we should view these challenges of
life :
James 1:2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of
many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so
that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Mr Borbet – pearl of wisdom… outlawed/banned the use of the
word “problem”,- “problem” could only talk of “opportunities”“gelegenheit”
Immerse yourself in God's presence, in His Word, in Worship, in
nature & you will see when the truth of what you read, hear,
say, sing & see resonates in your heart… you will notice how
your emotions & then the behaviour start changing for the
better & “towing the line” like those carriages behind the train
engine. They can go nowhere else but follow those railway
tracks.
Thinking great thoughts is significant but it is still only the first step
in a radically changed life, but it cannot happen without you
making this shift.
Credit to Chip Ingram for a lot of great thoughts from his book, “ Good to
Great – In God’s Eyes”.
SCRIPTURES about our THINKING & our MINDS
Romans 8:5-9a
5Those 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. 6The mind of sinful man is
death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful
mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9You, however,
are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit,
Ephesians 4:22-24
22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made
new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:1-2
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things
above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things.
1 Corinthians 14 :14-15
14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So
what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I
will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.