We’ve been hearing a lot recently about kingdom living. It’s such a message of freedom and joy! A key element to kingdom living is kingdom thinking.
“As a man thinks…so he is”, is a Biblical truth from Proverbs 23:7. Our thought life is powerful. It is private…silent…intimate…profound…consequential. It is so important. The Bible says we must capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 2:5). How do we do that? That seemed a monumental task to me when I read that as a growing Christian.
In the ensuing years, I’ve learned much about that scripture. Here’s a simple reminder I learned because capturing thoughts is a daily activity. It’s called the THINK code:
T: Is it true? Jesus pronounced that he is THE truth. Am I thinking about that kind of truth or is my mind filled with news, opinion, judgement, viewpoints, attitudes? It’s an important question to ask AND answer. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
H: Is it helpful? Are my thoughts helping me or someone else? Am I being strengthened, encouraged, positively informed? Or is my mind overtaken with thoughts that are destructive, negative and possibly not accurate? “So then let us PURSUE what makes for peace and for mutual UPBUILDING.” (Romans 14:19)
I: Is it inspiring? Do my thoughts soar? Do they point to Him? Do they lift me, support God’s word and create a breeding ground of growth and joy? “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of LIFE…” (Proverbs 10:11)
N: Is it necessary? Is this something I MUST consider? Do I HAVE to entertain this? Can I flush it away and be done? In many cases, the answer is “Yes! I can!” I can capture nasty, negative thoughts and toss them under Jesus’ blood and then begin to sing praise! Sometimes it’s just as simple as that! “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
K: Is it kind? Ah! Kindness. A nearly lost virtue in our culture. It must not be lost in our thoughts, which propel our attitudes, which influence our behavior. Kindness is not innate, but is made available to us by Jesus Christ, who resides in us. The greek picture of kindness is “to lean towards in favor and grace”. Just imagine if our thoughts were, daily, saturated with God’s kindness toward His children. And, we toward each other. “Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)
What about God’s thoughts? What occupies His great mind? The Bible tells us at least ONE thing. He thinks about….us! “How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them.” (Psalm 139:17) May our thoughts bring pleasure to Him, our King!
~ Vickie Richey
Christ Fellowship member