People Are What They Think About

[Chad]

People Are What They Think About
A.W. Tozer

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. --Proverbs 4:23

Every person is really what he or she secretly admires. If I can learn what you admire, I will know what you are, for people are what they think about when they are free to think about what they will.

Now, there are times when we are forced to think about things that we do not care to think about at all. All of us have to think about income taxes, but income taxes are not what we want to think about. The law makes us think about them every April. You may find me humped over Form 1040, just like everyone else, but that is not the real me. It is really the man with the tall hat and the spangled stars in Washington who says, "You can't let it go any longer!" I assure you it is not consentingly done! But if you can find what I think about when I am free to think about whatever I will, you will find the real me. That is true of every one of us.

Your baptism and your confirmation and your name on the church roll and the big Bible you carry--these are not the things that are important to God. You can train a chimpanzee to carry a Bible. Every one of us is the sum of what we secretly admire, what we think about and what we would like to do most if we became free to do what we wanted to do. Faith Beyond Reason, 96.

"Lord, You know the secret thoughts of my heart; nothing is hidden from You. May those thoughts be pure thoughts, pleasing to You, completely under the control of Your Holy Spirit. Amen."

 

[ShelliJo]

People Are What They Think About
A.W. Tozer

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. --Proverbs 4:23

Every person is really what he or she secretly admires. If I can learn what you admire, I will know what you are, for people are what they think about when they are free to think about what they will.

Now, there are times when we are forced to think about things that we do not care to think about at all. All of us have to think about income taxes, but income taxes are not what we want to think about. The law makes us think about them every April. You may find me humped over Form 1040, just like everyone else, but that is not the real me. It is really the man with the tall hat and the spangled stars in Washington who says, "You can't let it go any longer!" I assure you it is not consentingly done! But if you can find what I think about when I am free to think about whatever I will, you will find the real me. That is true of every one of us.

Your baptism and your confirmation and your name on the church roll and the big Bible you carry--these are not the things that are important to God. You can train a chimpanzee to carry a Bible. Every one of us is the sum of what we secretly admire, what we think about and what we would like to do most if we became free to do what we wanted to do. Faith Beyond Reason, 96.

"Lord, You know the secret thoughts of my heart; nothing is hidden from You. May those thoughts be pure thoughts, pleasing to You, completely under the control of Your Holy Spirit. Amen."

A mistsaken idea, Chad.

Proverbs 4:23 "Issues of life" are not the same as a person's identity or even self image. This supposed interpretation of Proverbs 4:23 is a popularized churchy sounding idea.

Believers' true identities are established according to the eternal name and spirit God gives them with their rebirth in Christ. Their soulish hearts today are not necessarily part of their true spirits. Even the finest believers do not necessarily have trustworthy hearts. Remnember how many times you have heard church experts say to "never trust men, because they will always fail?" Such failure is from defective hearts.

Remember, the writer of Proverbs was living under the Old Covenant, and did not know about being born again. He thought it was a process of a person's own works to redeem himself to become acceptable to God. Even today, under the New Covenant of spiritual rebirth via Grace, no believer can have a reliable heart. He can have an improved heart, but he will always carry around the "Old Man," as Paul knew.

"Lord, Thank you for remaking us somewhat into your own image, at least as we are seen by the Father. Please prevent us from thinking we have arrived at any kind of full redemption of our sinful Earthly nature before receiving full glorification beyond this life.

Please help us to keep learning that saying "may..." about our own ideas does not mean much of anything in the material world. Please continue to remind us through your servants and through your spirit that our hearts are far from being under the actual control of the Holy Spirit in any reliable manner according to your idealized description. Amen, and Bless your pure Word."

Shelli.

 

[jiggyfly]

Good article Chad, I believe this is the very reason that John the Baptist preached "repent ( change the way that you think) for the kingdom of God is at hand". Religious paradigms are a hindrance to spiritual life and prevents many from entering into intimacy with Father.

Galatians 6:7&8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Romans 8:5-8
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

The danger is the religious thinking is often interpreted as spiritual but when tested by the Spirit and the scriptures and the fruit (if any) is inspected, it is revealed to be just more carnal thinking and proves to be an enemy of spiritual life.

 

[ShelliJo]

Good article Chad, I believe this is the very reason that John the Baptist preached "repent ( change the way that you think) for the kingdom of God is at hand". Religious paradigms are a hindrance to spiritual life and prevents many from entering into intimacy with Father.

Galatians 6:7&8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Romans 8:5-8
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

The danger is the religious thinking is often interpreted as spiritual but when tested by the Spirit and the scriptures and the fruit (if any) is inspected, it is revealed to be just more carnal thinking and proves to be an enemy of spiritual life.

Yes, Praise God He has clearly let us know that the carnal mind is enmity against God. Such enmity is seen when even the sincerest people add their personal ideas into Scripture, and then call the resultant mixture "The Word of God," or a "teaching," or a "devotional," or a "sermon."

It is the work of Satan, as he showed in the Garden of Eden and in Christ's Temptation in the Wilderness, to either add his ideas to God's Word or to misuse God's Word, and then to call the resultant mixture "truth." Those who confidently and masterfully who add their own ideas to Scripture as a part of explaining it, even with the sincerest of hearts, are in league with Satan. There is no mishandling of God's Word within Scripture by His true servants and Prophets.

Shelli.

 

[jiggyfly]

Yes, Praise God He has clearly let us know that the carnal mind is enmity against God. Such enmity is seen when even the sincerest people add their personal ideas into Scripture, and then call the resultant mixture "The Word of God," or a "teaching," or a "devotional," or a "sermon."

It is the work of Satan, as he showed in the Garden of Eden and in Christ's Temptation in the Wilderness, to either add his ideas to God's Word or to misuse God's Word, and then to call the resultant mixture "truth." Those who confidently and masterfully who add their own ideas to Scripture as a part of explaining it, even with the sincerest of hearts, are in league with Satan. There is no mishandling of God's Word within Scripture by His true servants and Prophets.

Shelli.

I think one of the most dangerous mixtures is old covenant practices, rules and commands with the new covenant. Examples like tithing, sabbath and festival keeping, and clergy /laity systems. Even though it's all scripture, mixing scriptures that pertain to the old covenant and trying to apply them to the new covenant is wrong.

As far as being in league with Satan I don't think I can agree with you on that, in many cases its just carnality and I believe everyone including you and myself are guilty of misinterpreting scriptures. The very bibles that we read are also in error of the translators adding to it what they believe.

 

[HeLovesYou]

I don't have a lot to add except it is good to see such passionate discussion. Also, since the Bible is the Living Word of God, it speaks to individuals in different ways. It is individually tailored to speak to each of us as it so chooses through the Holy Spirit. It isn't as much one person is wrong, or the other is right, as it is that the Word has been revealed to the other person differently.

Thank God for His wonderful imagination!:star:

 

[Mike Scott]

With the original thread, "PEOPLE ARE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT"

Then the scripture Probverbs 4:23, Keep your heart with all dilegence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

The heart considered the soul of the person is the essential final important part that we are constantly protecting.

With the above statement from Tozer we do need to decern what we allow to get past the first defences.

I for one have a known weakness in lust and our enemy and his many helpers are constantly busy trying to get past those God given defenses.

On my own I know I will fail miserably. With Him I can survive anything.

Now I am the first to admit there are times the ongoing battle of flesh vs. Spirit is very challenging but one of my coping methods is to instantly pray in the opposite Spirit.
So lust is put in front and I pray blessing and that the Lord would do a might works in that person. I continue in prayer until they are long out of my sight so my mind will not be idle.

This just one way of coping, and one of many areas of challenges.

We tend to use the phrase "the devil made me do it", far too easily!

When we know all too well we are our own worst enemy at the best of times.

All this to say, with His devine help we can survive in the modern crazy world we are presently living in.

Sorry if I seem to get off topic but I think I'm close.
Take care and Thanks again for stimulating the mind.
Mike
aka grizzly for Christ

 

[Disciplette]

I am the handiwork of Christ!!!

I like what you are posted. I have always wondered if I was what I thought about, but, alas, I am not. I guess if I am what I think about alot, maybe? I know that I don't want to think about what I am, someone that is a sinner, whose heart is evil without the residence of Jesus, that I am no better than anyone else in prison. The only difference is that Jesus called me and drew me and chased me down, and he found me!!! I try to think, to make myself into something better, but, I can't. It has not worked for me. I am old now, 55 years old, and have had lots of time to practice all the "new-age" thought stuff when I was away from the Lord. It doesn't work. Only Jesus works. And, I have to go to Him and confess my failings to Him. He cleanses me from the bad stuff, the weak stuff, and guides me. It is not my thoughts that make me, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. You see, I am His workmanship, not my own, and Praise God for that!!!