"You are not the only one with wandering thoughts. Our mind is extremely roving; but as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to God, as their last end."
Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
I don't know about you, but my thoughts can quickly take me to bad places. I start worrying and fretting about what might or might not happen; I dwell on how someone has injured me; I allow myself to indulge in sinful fantasies. Although we try to tell ourselves that such things are not really sinful, because they are not actions, this isn't what Jesus teaches. In chapter 5 of the book of Matthew He says:
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. 'But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment." Matt. 5:21-22
and:
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery. 'But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matt. 5:27-29
It's obvious that thoughts count. Why? Well, in many cases, sinful thoughts lead to sinful actions. They destroy our joy and our peace. They distract us from focusing on Christ. And unfortunately, because of original sin, they are our default setting.
So, what's the remedy? How do we counteract our unruly mind? What helps us to persevere in righteous thinking?
".... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
For more posts about our attitude see:
The Attitude of This Saint
Please Sorry Thanks by Mark Batterson — Book Review
Which One Are You?
No comments:
Post a Comment