Our Thought Life

[cmc]

June 10, 2009

Early Light Daily Devotional from In Touch Ministries





READ | 1 Corinthians 2:11-16

God calls His children to live holy lives (1 Pet. 1:15-16). This requires both the Holy Spirit’s help and our cooperation. We should begin with our thought life because our actions are based upon what we believe.

The first step is to acknowledge that our thoughts need changing. Selfishness, jealousy, and other unrighteous behavior come from ungodly thinking. Examining ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) will reveal impure thoughts. Our Father wants these replaced with thinking bent toward forgiveness and kindness (Eph. 4:30-32). This will happen as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds (Rom. 12:2).

Next, we make a commitment to the Lord that we will pursue godliness. This promise is much more than a New Year’s resolution. It encompasses our entire being and is expressed as a desire to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). It means dedicating ourselves to become like our Savior.

Daily time in the Word will keep our resolve strong. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit will transform our mind and strengthen our inner being to bring about any needed changes. If we neglect Bible study, we leave ourselves open to the influence of the world and our “flesh,” neither of which cares about godliness.

Becoming holy is a lifelong process that requires understanding of God’s ways, plans, and priorities—and adopting them as our own. It means letting the Spirit develop within us the mind of Christ. If we try to change our behavior without adjusting our thinking, we’ll find ourselves doing precisely what we want to avoid (Rom. 7:15).

[jurneyman]

A thought precedes any action, so we become who we think we are,
whether we really are or not.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Unfortunately

I got into AA because, I never gave a wise thought to what the outcome of my actions would be when, I was drinking

[cmc]

Attitudes and thoughts precede action and they can be as destructive as well as productive- depending on how I choose to manage them.
I have this verse taped to the base of my monitor-as a reminder.
"Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are true an honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected." Philippians 4:6

[CAPTAINZING2000]

free will used incorrectly can be very dangerous

[jurneyman]

Captain, The only Power in my life was alcohol, and it separated me from my conscious,
so the only connection I had was to myself, so without that Spiritual guidance I did not care at all and had no remorse for how the outcome of my actions affected anyone else except me, and what I selfishly wanted. I just couldn't change even though alcohol was consuming my life until I had reached the point of no return and it had no affect for me anymore and with that the feeling of complete emptiness. I was totally miserable drunk or sober haunted by the way I lived my life. I had no place to go, no one left who would help me, so I no longer had the way that I normally would have used to escape the endless hopelessness and suffering. It was absolutely essential that I experienced everything I did, without It there wouldn't have been enough of the necessary incentive to convince me that I needed to ask someone for help. That someone was AA and the real power of God.

[fallen112]

Thank you for this post. May God help us all to think on those things that please Christ.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strengthf, and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14