For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

Proverbs 23:7 (NASB)

The Bible has a lot to say about the way we think. It’s no wonder, because on average, we think over 70,000 thoughts every single day! Our intricately designed brains have as many billions of neurons as there are stars in our galaxy! God created these fascinating machines in our heads to do truly remarkable things, but He also knows that left unchecked, our minds have a propensity to sin and negativity. And all those negative thoughts control what we believe and what we do every day. 

God knew what He was doing when He designed our minds, but our sinful natures have more than a little tendency to mess us up. The thoughts we think direct our lives. They can either lead us toward our purpose and a life focused on God and others, or they can hijack our peace and send us down the dark path of self-centeredness and despair. Whatever we believe about ourselves, about others, or about God controls what we do. But God wants to renew our minds so we can live in the freedom He gives. Our sinful selves were crucified on that cross so we could live in the light of Christ, not in the darkness of sin. 

Our self-limiting thoughts have no power of their own, yet we give them great power over our lives. But if our minds think 70,000+ thoughts every day, we clearly have the ability to ignore most of them, especially the bad ones. We were never intended to believe, trust, or act on every thought. We were intended to filter every thought through God’s truth and only take hold of the ones that move us forward, towards the purpose for which we were created. 

This quote, which first appeared in Farmer’s Digest in 1978 says it best: “Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Watch your words, for they become your actions. Watch your actions, for they become your habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Whoever wrote those words understood the power thoughts can have over your life. Fill your mind with so much of God’s Word that it immediately recognizes and rejects the lies. Your thoughts will always determine your destination, so be sure to hold only the ones God approves. Throw the rest in the trash. You are loved!

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t—you’re right.

~Henry Ford