My thoughts

In my reading this morning I came across a phrase that I cannot get out of my mind. Proverbs 23:7a says, "For as he thinks within himself, so he is." (NASB) I did a devotional on a successful marriage a couple weeks ago for my prayer group. Part of it dealt with our thought life, and it was based on Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (NIV) I made the point that how we think can dramatically affect our marriages.

I often find myself taking some little thing that annoys me and playing it over and over in my mind until it becomes something entirely different. I often determine another person's motives for him. I can take the simple fact that my husband is late and turn it into a judgement that he doesn't care about his family and doesn't want to spend time with us. I know that this is absolutely untrue, but that doesn't stop me from playing it over and over in my mind. By the time I see my husband I am annoyed and unpleasant. The fact is that it was not his actions that produced this result in me, but my own. "As [s]he thinks within [herself], so [s]he is"

Who do I want to be? How do I become that person? God has clearly told me what should be in my thoughts. Not only does He give us the list from Philippians, but in Joshua 1:8 He tells us to meditate on His Word day and night. God knows what is best for us, and His Word tells us what that is. It is up to us to do it.