For as he thinks in his heart so is he. –Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
I once read somewhere that a man’s character is the sum of all his thoughts. I never fully understood what that meant until I began to see how my thoughts blossomed into my actions and eventually into my character.
In my younger days, I did a lot of stupid things and made very many mistakes, but the Lord’s grace found me, restored me, and set me on the right path. I knew in the deep recesses of my heart that I was forgiven and made new, but in my head, I believed that I did not deserve anything good from God and in essence from any one else. So whenever something good happened to me, I felt guilty for having it, and did everything in my power to “work to earn it.” In my relationships, I worked overtime to try to please the other person because I did not believe that I deserved them. At work, I often stayed long hours, not because I had to, but because I felt that I needed to do so in order to feel like I deserved to have the job. I often gave more than I had because I felt like I had to earn people’s love. Eventually, my relationship with God became an employer/employee type relationship where I worked to earn His love and favour.
I thought, therefore I became. With my thoughts, I forged the weapons by which I destroyed opportunities, damaged relationships, and began to ruin my life. For several years, I lived in my self (thought) created prison of guilt and unworthiness. Then I ‘found’ Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the 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.” I had read that verse many times before, but hearing it from the lips of successful business man that was previously homeless for almost ten years injected new life into it for me. He said that he woke up one day from his dingy bed in the shelter he lived in and realized that he was only homeless and on drugs because he believed in his heart that that was the best he could do. So he decided that morning to change the way he thought. He decided that for one month, he would believe that he could get a great job, buy a house, meet a young lady and have a family. So he began to attend a nearby Church, began to pray more, went back to get his High School degree, enrolled for college classes in a community college, began hanging out with the pastor’s daughter, got a great job, got an apartment, married the girl, had a child, started his own business, and bought a house. He accomplished all of these within five years. He thought, then he became.
Just like a specific type of plant grows from the seed that is planted, our actions blossom from the thoughts we plant in our minds and hearts. So I ask you today, what seeds of thought are you planting? Who do you think you are? What things or people are you allowing to shape your thoughts? Are your thoughts shaped by the word of God or are you allowing your circumstances/past to shape them? This may be a little difficult to believe, but the choice is TOTALLY up to you. You get to decide what you will believe. The Word of God tells you who God created you to be! As a believer, the Holy Spirit within you affirms who God says you are, but the enemy also tempts you to believe who he wants you to be. Ultimately dear friend, you get to decide and choose what/whom you will believe. So what is it going to be?
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. What do you think? Who have you chosen to be?
Grace and peace be with you.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?