Are You Stinking Thinking?
Are you Stinking Thinking?
The Bible has a lot to say about how and what we think of and the consequent results of our thinking.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee”. Proverbs 23:7. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”. 1 Cor 10:12. “(Love) doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 2 Cor. 13:5.
“And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 1 Cor. 8:2. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself”. Galatians 6:3. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless”. James 1:26
God also thinks so we are being encouraged to think the way He does. He His thoughts of us are good and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11). “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God”. Ps 40:17.
What are you thinking about? Apostle Paul is challenging his Philippian friends about their thinking in light of all he had written in this Epistle. Listen to Paul:
“8 Finally, [b]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.” Philippians 4:8 AMP.
Paul summarized the foundation of proper thinking in Phil 3:21-22 – our citizenship is in heaven, Christ is coming soon for us and He will give us a resurrected body just like his. Therefore why worry and be anxious but rather think the things that are true, honorable, lovely, admirable, good report, pure, of praise. Why spend your time thinking on anything else? God knows and sees all your thoughts.
How do we get to thinking properly? By the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) we cultivate good thinking through the reading of the Word of God. We are familiar with “garbage in garbage out”. What we are watching, listing to or reading will influence our thinking. Have you read a good book (the Bible) lately?
Have you caught yourself stinking thinking? Yes, I have and many times. This is how to deal with stinking thinking: “4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10: 4 and 5). It is not a onetime exercise. It is daily and sometimes hourly. Does what I am thinking right now line up with God’s word? If not cast it down.
Our thinking must reflect a mind that is guarded by the peace of God. When you are not at peace you will produce stinking thinking and people around you will see it and smell you. You become nasty in your attitude to others.
Instead of thinking of the things that worry you (be anxious for noting vs. 6) think on the good things. Today we will start with the things that are true. Jesus is true and the Truth. Think of, and on Him.
The enemy to right thinking is our emotions. “Emotional Intelligence” “is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.” It is thinking properly without mixing it up with emotions (such as anger and jealousy) of the moment and thus arriving at proper decision. A lot of people are good intellectual thinkers but they are bankrupt in emotional intelligence.
Thinking things that are true is exhibiting emotional intelligence. It goes like this: “Yes, you have messed up but this thing you just did is not the end of your life; there is forgiveness in Christ and love covers a multitude of sins”. Instead of: “You are no good, you are like your mother/father, you always do this, and you will amount to nothing”. Right thinking? Pray for him/her.
Are you stinking thinking and are you thinking on what is true about God, about you and about others? Assignment: Write down everything that is true about God, yourself, and others in your life; and true about the circumstances you may be facing right now. Meditate and rejoice in the Truth – Jesus.
Please let’s stop the stinking thinking and stop stinking around people who love us and those we ought to love. Think the TRUTH and introduce people to the TRUTH- Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Bible has a lot to say about how and what we think of and the consequent results of our thinking.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee”. Proverbs 23:7. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”. 1 Cor 10:12. “(Love) doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 2 Cor. 13:5.
“And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 1 Cor. 8:2. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself”. Galatians 6:3. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless”. James 1:26
God also thinks so we are being encouraged to think the way He does. He His thoughts of us are good and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11). “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God”. Ps 40:17.
What are you thinking about? Apostle Paul is challenging his Philippian friends about their thinking in light of all he had written in this Epistle. Listen to Paul:
“8 Finally, [b]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.” Philippians 4:8 AMP.
Paul summarized the foundation of proper thinking in Phil 3:21-22 – our citizenship is in heaven, Christ is coming soon for us and He will give us a resurrected body just like his. Therefore why worry and be anxious but rather think the things that are true, honorable, lovely, admirable, good report, pure, of praise. Why spend your time thinking on anything else? God knows and sees all your thoughts.
How do we get to thinking properly? By the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) we cultivate good thinking through the reading of the Word of God. We are familiar with “garbage in garbage out”. What we are watching, listing to or reading will influence our thinking. Have you read a good book (the Bible) lately?
Have you caught yourself stinking thinking? Yes, I have and many times. This is how to deal with stinking thinking: “4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10: 4 and 5). It is not a onetime exercise. It is daily and sometimes hourly. Does what I am thinking right now line up with God’s word? If not cast it down.
Our thinking must reflect a mind that is guarded by the peace of God. When you are not at peace you will produce stinking thinking and people around you will see it and smell you. You become nasty in your attitude to others.
Instead of thinking of the things that worry you (be anxious for noting vs. 6) think on the good things. Today we will start with the things that are true. Jesus is true and the Truth. Think of, and on Him.
The enemy to right thinking is our emotions. “Emotional Intelligence” “is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.” It is thinking properly without mixing it up with emotions (such as anger and jealousy) of the moment and thus arriving at proper decision. A lot of people are good intellectual thinkers but they are bankrupt in emotional intelligence.
Thinking things that are true is exhibiting emotional intelligence. It goes like this: “Yes, you have messed up but this thing you just did is not the end of your life; there is forgiveness in Christ and love covers a multitude of sins”. Instead of: “You are no good, you are like your mother/father, you always do this, and you will amount to nothing”. Right thinking? Pray for him/her.
Are you stinking thinking and are you thinking on what is true about God, about you and about others? Assignment: Write down everything that is true about God, yourself, and others in your life; and true about the circumstances you may be facing right now. Meditate and rejoice in the Truth – Jesus.
Please let’s stop the stinking thinking and stop stinking around people who love us and those we ought to love. Think the TRUTH and introduce people to the TRUTH- Jesus Christ. Amen.
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