The Bottom Line
It’s been said that “you can‘t keep a bird from flying over your head but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.” I can remember being called out in grade school for daydreaming. My thoughts and vivid imagination would take over and I wouldn’t even hear what the teacher was saying. Have you ever been thinking about something other than your driving and miss your turn?
How would you classify your thoughts, imaginations, and attitudes? Are they clean or corrupt; positive or negative? The beginning of a new year is a perfect opportunity to change up some things in your life. A great place to start taking inventory is your thought life. Whatever you think about will profoundly affect what you do. God created us, so He knows our tendencies. God knows all about you but He loves you anyway! “…You know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence!” (Psalm 139:4 TPT). God has given us specific instructions in the Bible to keep our thoughts headed in the right direction for holiness and victory.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Inner purity is a challenge that requires you to guard your thought life with diligence.
If you have the attitude that your thoughts don’t matter and it’s only what you do that counts, you’re gravely mistaken. What you do outwardly — the things that people see — determines your reputation with man. But God is interested in what’s on the inside of an individual. Even though God knows what we’ll think and do beforehand, He expects those who believe and love Him to line up their thoughts and actions according to His Word. Scripture reveals that your thoughts do matter. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV).
We need to stop an impure thought the moment it pops into our mind. Jesus spoke plainly regarding our thought life. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5: 27,28 NKJV).
In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus was invited to the house of Simon the Pharisee. While there, He was anointed by a woman whose life had been drastically changed by the love of Jesus. “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!’ Then Jesus answered his thoughts….” Simon did not audibly voice his critical opinion, he simply thought it and Jesus knew what he was thinking. Simon’s thoughts mattered, and so do yours.
God knows if you reject or accept negative or impure thoughts, and He expects you to control them out of respect and love for Him. What you think to yourself counts with God. It’s encouraging to know that God’s grace will enable you to maintain inner purity so that your life will honor Him.
The Bottom Line: Man doesn’t know your thoughts, but God does…if you love Him you’ll walk the line.
Pastor Jimmy Tucker
Diamond Community Church
2591 Jayhawk Road
10:45 a.m. Worship