photo credit: Dean Terry
I was studying a scripture in God’s Word (the Holy Bible) and I gained great understanding as to the power of thought in our lives and the dire importance of protecting our mind as to what we allow to enter therein. The scripture I would like to discuss is found in Proverbs 23:7 and it states, “Whatever a man thinks in his heart so is he.” I would like to concentrate on two words in this short but powerful scripture.
First, the word, thinks, does not mean a fleating thought or concept that passes through your mind. This word describes the thought as deep meditation or concentration. It is taking a concept or idea and mulling it over and over again in your mind in a way of workingout a problem.
The second word which I want to spend most of my time on is the word heart. In the Old Testement this word is synonomous with the word soul and not the Cardia of a fleshly organ that pumps blood through our bodies. We now have a better understanding of the soul from the Apostle Paul in his New Testement writings that man is actually a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body. The soul and spirit of a man are so closely connected that only God Himself can differentiate the two. In the book of Hebrews chapter 4 vs 12 the Bible states, “The Word of God is quick (living) and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing between the sould and spirit, joints and marrow and is a diserner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Our spirit is truly who we really are. When God breathed into Adam the Bible says that Adam then became a living being. In simple terms God, who is life, through His breath turned on the power switch in Adam’s soul and he became a living, breathing, and animated being. Your soul is where your concience and conciousness resides. It is also the seat of your emotions. When we make decisions based soley on our emotions we are making decisions out from that fallen part of our humanity. This is why, as a Christian, we must base all of our decisions on what God says about the situation. We should never trust our emotions. Our emotions or feelings will get us into a mess real quick!
Now, you are asking, “what does this all have to do with the word heart/soul.” Well, when I studied this word, ‘heart,” from this scripture I found that this unique Hebrew word was used only once in all of the Bible in reference to the human heart/soul. In the Old Testement it was used in context to describe a city gate. In the Old Testement era the city gate was where all of the city Elders (officials) met to make legal, civil, propety and even criminal decisions. Here at the city gate travelers would desire to enter to sell their wares so the Elders would decide whether to give them entrance or not. What God is trying to tell us in this scripture is, that our heart (soul) is the city gate to our mind and we must be very careful of the decisions we make as to what we allow to enter that gate as it will infect the whole city! So, accompanied with the word, ‘thinks,” we need to make sure we do not take worldly thoughts and concepts and work them out in our minds because we will begin to allow the Worlds fallen and corrupt approaches to become who we are and how we live. The book of James tells us that, “when lust (personal cravings in the mind) have conceived they bring forth sin, and sin when it is birthed brings forth death.” (James Ch. 1 vs. 15). In Romans Ch. 12 vs. 2, Paul tells us as Christians, “be not conformed (molded) to this World (system) but you be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I would give a word of encouragement here and say that this is NOT saying that you have sinned if you have a sinful thought. I like the analogy I heard and I believe it came from Martin Luther which compares sinful thoughts to the activity of a bird. You cannot keep a bird from flying over your head but you can keep that bird from landing on your head and making a nest and living there. Even Jesus Himself was tempted with sin but He overcame the enemy by the written Word of God!
Finally, Paul wirites in the book of Philippians Ch. 4 vs. 8 says, “Finally Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
What I have found practical in my life is when I find myself having impure thoughts I begin to sing a spiritual hymn, quote a scripture or think about my Lord’s sacrifice for me or His soon return. It turns my thoughts onto things that, if visually displayed, would not bring embarrasment to myself or others around me.
It is my prayer for you and myself that we adopt and apply this teaching and not allow these Worldly thoughts to gain entrance into the citygate of our hearts (soul/mind) but wash them away by consistantly reading and applying the truths of God’s holy and pure Word!
His Sevant,
Jeff
