My Daily Pause

We are what we think about

Earl Nightingale’s famous motivational speech “The Strangest Secret in the World” seemed ground breaking in 1961 when it sold over a million copies. Its powerful message was simply “We become what we think about.” The key factor is that You will grow a healthy crop of whatever you plant in the fields of your mind. It doesn’t matter if what you put in there is good or bad, your mind will return it in abundance.

The idea wasn’t new in 1961. The Bible has been teaching this all along!  Philippians 4:8, one of the theme verses for this website, tells us to think about only “the good things.” Paul closes the Philippians letter with that and some other exhortations for living godly lives. I am certain that having the “mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5) is not possible when worldly things enter it.

Look what Solomon has to say about our thoughts:

Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
Don’t use your mouth to tell lies;
don’t ever say things that are not true.
Keep your eyes focused on what is right,
and look straight ahead to what is good.
Be careful what you do,
and always do what is right.
Don’t turn off the road of goodness;
keep away from evil paths. – Proverbs 4:23-27 NCV

The things that routinely dominate our thoughts are what we become.

The good thing is we have full control over it!

We are what we think about

Debauchery.

Drunkenness.

Worry.

In Luke 21, as Jesus is foretelling Jerusalem’s destruction and his return, he suddenly warns against these symptoms of lifestyle and what to do about them – Be careful of what weighs down your heart. (Luke 21:34)

At some point, our time will run out and all we will have is the stuff we are made of to offer up in the judgment. That offering will be the direct result of what we put in our heart.

God made our heart (or mind, or soul) in such a way that it returns exactly what we put in it. Fed one way, it returns the things Jesus warns about in Luke 21:34. Fed another way, we would be godly people able to avoid the “trap” of death.

In summary, we actually become what we think about.

Look at what the Proverb writer says:

Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.

Don’t use your mouth to tell lies;
don’t ever say things that are not true.

Keep your eyes focused on what is right,
and look straight ahead to what is good.

Be careful what you do,
and always do what is right.

Don’t turn off the road of goodness;
keep away from evil paths. – Proverbs 4:23-27 NCV

He is showing us that we have control over what we think about. Some may be out of practice, but we have the ability to feed our minds with good. When we do that, our decisions and conversations and attitude will begin to reflect godly things. The kind of things we want to present to Christ when he returns. (Luke 21:36)

Paul gave us a number of lifestyle directions in just about every letter he wrote. One of my favorite being Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. – Philippians 4:8 KJV

If Jesus comes right now, will your heart be full of what is in the Luke 21:34 warning or the Philippians 4:8 exhortation?

Church and Bible study attendance should be the number one thing on our schedule. By the schedule my congregation keeps, that is four hours a week, maybe a little more.

So is that the extent of the time we need to spend with God?

After Paul’s conversion he spent three years in Arabia in communion and study. (Galatians 1:17-18) This is probably where Jesus revealed the Gospel to him like he did for the other Apostles.

In the same way, we need to spend quality time with God. Even deeper than our daily reading habit, I propose that taking time out to “sojourn” – or getting away for a few minutes is the next logical step. What better way to reflect on your reading, pray, and just be in the presence of God? Taking a walk or even just sitting in a quiet place is an excellent way to do this.

Bonus – Paul’s Timeline

The Chronology of Paul’s conversion, his sojourn to Arabia and his meeting with the Apostles can be confusing when comparing Galatians 1 and Acts 9. Here is the way I reconcile it:

1. Saul was struck down on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-8)
2. Three days of blindness and prayer (Acts 9:8)
3. Sight restored, baptized and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-19)
4. Preached Christ and confounded the Jews (Acts 9:19-22)
5. Made a sudden departure to Arabia for further study and communion with God (Galatians 1:17,18)
6. Came back to Damascus and angered the Jews and they decided to kill him (Acts 9:23) (Three years later)
7. Paul escaped to Jerusalem (Acts 9:24-25)
8. The Christians were afraid of him (Acts 9:26)
9. Barnabas took up his cause and recommended him (Acts 9:27-29
10. The Jerusalem church sent him to Tarsus after more death threats(Acts 9:30)

As you prepare to attend church today, what you think about can have an impact on the quality of your worship.

In a complete worship service, you will worship five ways:
Through song, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, giving and teaching/studying.

Putting aside daily and worldly distractions for a while is sometimes difficult, but it is necessary so you can give God proper reverence.

Paul gave us some guidelines that work not only for worship but daily as well.

Whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things. – Philippians 4:8

Daily Bible Reading for April 7

Psalm 97
Leviticus 3
Isaiah 1
1 Corinthians 15

Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

One of the things that caused Eve to sin in the garden was the promise to know all that is good and evil. (Genesis 3:5) She didn’t stop to think that when one already knows all that is good, there is no need to know the specifics of evil. Eve coveted something she effectively already had.

Paul knew that the things we have in our mind will manifest themselves in our daily life. The mind is like a fertile field – whatever is planted in it is exactly what will be returned. It doesn’t matter if it is poison ivy or Silverqueen corn. Studying and contemplating things that are not wholesome does not allow us to have the “mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5) but meditating on the things in Paul’s list leaves us with the foundation of a peaceful existence.