Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday September 22, 2011

A noted lawyer from back in the 1880's had some insight into the human condition as do many modern lawyers. Knowing what people are all about is a help to anyone engaged in working with fellow humans. Christian Nevell Bovee said:

"It is the nature of thought to find its way into action."

The truth is that whether the thought is noble or ignoble it tends to take control of mental faculties, and also the emotional life and soon action is moving toward accomplishing the reality of the thought. This one of the "whys" of learning to permit only the noble thoughts to find a nesting place in our hearts and minds. What you think is far more important than most believe. Many Christians find it hard to accept that just thinking about something that is prohibited by scripture is putting you in danger of doing what the thought demands.

Wise teachers throughout the ages have taught even harped on keeping the mind cleaned from less than honorable thoughts. Zig Ziglar made a fortune helping men and women learn how to get a checkup from the neck up and thus overcome stinking thinking. Talk of activating thoughts usually produces some sort of rant on pornography or the like and the rant is valid for a number of reasons. Other thoughts also are destructive to a Christian lifestyle. I have quoted Jonathan Edwards for years and though I cannot find the exact site, I quoted it from an old version of Success Unlimited and therefore trust its validity. Jonathan Edwards said this concerning the power of our thoughts: "The ideas and images in men's minds are the invisible forces which govern them." Actions are the result of the dominate thoughts of the mind and heart.

Notice this gem from Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Emphasis mine).

The meaning of this verse is simple in that we think, but before we lock on to the thought and permit it to guide our actions, we must really grasp what the scripture says about the thought and the ensuing action. Esau become a bitter wild man due to constant thought on just how unfair his brother had been to him in cheating him out of the privilege of the firstborn. Bitterness is a result of misdirected thought which led Esau to a life of bitter thoughts and action.

Before you play around with forbidden thought keep in mind that the thought will if feasted upon long enough lead to the action. Prisons are full of men and women who will testify to this fact. Graveyards are full of the bodies of innocents whose blood cries out for justice from the ground. Thoughts do lead to action. Think about it.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2011 Use with credit

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