Monday, May 21, 2007

giving thought to our thoughts/thought life

It's easy to go on in life and give little thought to our thought life. Our thoughts play in largely to what we end up doing. More foundationally, thoughts play into who we're becoming. So we need to guard them so as to keep out the bad as well as take in the good.

I love Paul's words on this:

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

Philippians 4:8; TNIV

These are great and important words to reflect on, to think about.

Paul also talks about taking every thought captive of those he was teaching, and making it obedient to Christ. Certainly this had to begin in Paul first; he had to do it for himself. And I believe he did it through the word of God, the message of Christ and living humbly in community.

What will we be thinking about today? What have I thought about through other days and how has that affected me? Too often in my own life I've thought about issues that made me anxious and worrisome. I've learned to combat that through getting into Scripture and prayer, as well as sharing it with a mature, loving brother or sister, especially my wife or a pastor or trusted friend. Though I do like to share with others my struggles at times, so they can take heart that they're not the only ones who struggle.

Here is something that is great to put your thoughts on. It started out slow for me, but ends up being worth every minute. Listen and be blessed to be a blessing.

What thoughts would you like to add to our thoughts on thoughts here?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

We've got an whole administration and national policy being shaped on the hopes that our thought life is flooded with anxiety...

Ted M. Gossard said...

Karen, Great point. And unfortunately people are in the grip of the terrorists, so to speak, in the grip of anxiety.

Volf, in The End of Memory speaks something of this and mentions a post 9/11 policy that would have been much better/good but would have surely raised calls for impeachment.

Thanks!

Ted M. Gossard said...

...as in overcoming evil with good!