SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THOUGHTS
by Dr. Glenn Mathews
A strange topic? I suppose so. But I want to comment on thoughts. There are at least eight thoughts I want to give on thoughts, but I shall not give all of them in this one article! I think one will be enough!
I read. Many people can read, but do not read. I read. When one reads, as in the case of reading the New Testament book of James daily for the past 46 days, thoughts are planted in the mind. I cannot tell if I heard the following sentence, or if I read it some place, or if it just occurred to me, but the thought I want to give is:
“You may have a billion thoughts in a lifetime, but you can only have one thought at a time.”
Surely, that is not original with me. About the only original thought I ever had was when I realized that I’ve never had an original thought. Nonetheless, thoughts come in sequence, not in bunches. If that is true, and I think it is, then it becomes imperative that I guard my thoughts.
If this were a forum for counseling, then I would be discussing positive thoughts versus negative thoughts. Naturally, there is much to be said regarding the benefits of thinking positive thoughts rather than thinking negative thoughts. That, however, is not the intent of this article. My focus is righteousness versus wickedness. In this arena of righteousness versus wickedness in my thought life, Proverbs 23:7 and many other such passages would apply. Since I can think only one thing at a time, isn’t it best for us to think according to Phil. 4:8 “Finally, brethren, what-soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (venerable, honorable), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; If (since, because) there be any virtue, and if there by any praise, think on these things”.
And, as you might think, there is more to come. Stop back in next month for one or maybe even two more THOUGHTS ABOUT THOUGHTS.