Thinking Right Thoughts

By Ann Doupont

How important are our thoughts? Do you think about what you are thinking about? Does it really matter?

It has been said that the mind is a battlefield. It is where we will either win or lose every battle. We are bombarded with thoughts each day. They come from many directions. People ask us questions which require a response.

Some people seem to think they are on "auto-pilot," going about their activities without giving a lot of thought to what they are doing. They just do without thinking. When they have not thought, or planned, ahead; they will most likely find themselves in some otherwise avoidable situations, which could be hazardous and even dangerous.

I had a friend, who is now with Jesus, who was paid once a month. She had plenty to live on -- to provide for all of her living expenses. Yet, every month toward the end of the month, she had no money for food. Had she thought ahead, this would not have continued to happen.

She would also often overdraw her bank account. In asking her how this would happen, she would always tell me the same thing. She said that on the automated phone system, it said that there was still money in her account, so she would write another check -- never considering the ones which were still outstanding.

Although I told her about this many times, she could not seem to grasp the concept, so she continued doing the same thing over and over until the bank closed her account. How important was it that she thought correctly? How important are our thoughts?

Most of us would agree that in order to lose weight, we need to decrease our caloric intake. If I chose to believe otherwise, would it work for me? If I believed that I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and stuffed myself continually, would I lose weight? Of course I would not. There are laws set in place that we need to understand. How important, therefore, are our thoughts!

What we think about long enough, and meditate on, we will eventually do. Temptations come to each of us. Even Jesus was tempted in all points, yet without sin. (See Hebrews 4:15.) We need not continue in our sins -- yet, we do need to change what we allow ourselves to think. We are told, in Philippians 4:8, what we are to think about; namely, things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report for an abundant life.

I began to evaluate what I routinely thought about. When my thoughts strayed from the Lord, I had to deal with them, learning how to cast down imaginations and every high thing that was lifting itself up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Meditating on both 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Philippians 3:13-14, I was better able to overcome my past and stay in the present. I have heard it taught, and have studied it for myself, that the word "meditate" found in both Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2, means not only to think on or ponder. It also includes speaking it out, or uttering it aloud.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “…if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Since I am "in Christ" I qualify for this. Therefore, I say it like this, "I am a new creature in Christ. Old things are passed away. All things are become abundantly new."

Quoting Philippians 3:13-14 can be spoken as written (starting with the words “this one thing I do”), as it is already written in the first person, singular. As I began to speak these verses over and over, I found myself better able to truly forget many of the things from my past which were troubling me.

A great verse to keep us from being anxious about the tomorrows of our lives is Philippians 4:6, saying, "Be anxious for nothing..." and so I can say, "I am not anxious about anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I let my requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God that passes all understanding keeps my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus."

It is important to note that, with this verse, there is more to be done than merely saying it. Also what needs to be done is to let our prayers and supplications be made known unto God “with thanksgiving.” The King James Version uses the word “careful” instead of the word “anxious,” but the meaning of some of the words has changed since the KJV was written in 1611. This is one of those words, so I have chosen to use the word “anxious,” which is found in some other translations.

We can, and should, give thanks to God when we pray -- knowing that He has heard us, and will therefore give us what we have requested. See also Mark 11:24, which instructs us to believe we receive when we pray (present tense) and then we shall have it (future tense). We need to also consider John 15:7, which lets us know that we are to not only abide in Him, but to also have His Word abiding in us. When His Word is abiding in us, we will then only be asking for those things which are in accordance with His Word, which is His will.

Most of us understand that when we have invited Jesus to come into our lives, He has come in -- by faith. The Holy Spirit is now in us. For those who have not yet invited Jesus to come into your life, please pray this prayer with me out loud right now:

Jesus, I thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I invite you to come into my life and to be my Lord and Savior. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Excerpt from God Can Heal Anything!

ISBN: 1-59330-432-3

Ann Doupont --author of these other two fine books Irons In The Fire and Surrendered