My Thoughts Control The Direction Of My Life

In review of Proverbs 4:23 it says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (GNT).

Proverbs 4:20-23

Solomon reminds me to pay attention to what he saying. Listen carefully to these words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into my heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole bodies. Therefore I need guard my heart above all else, for it will determine the course of my life.

My heart (the cockpit of my life where my feelings of love and desire are generated from) will dictate to a great extend how I live, because I always find time to do what I enjoy. Solomon tells me to guard my heart above all else, making sure I concentrate on those desires that will keep me on the right path. Make sure my affections push me in the right direction. Put boundaries on my desires: Don't go after everything I see. Look straight ahead, and keep my eyes fixed on my goal, and don't get sidetracked on detours that lead to sin.

What I’m reminded of all the time is that God is far more interested in changing my mind than changing my circumstances.

My first desire is to want God to take away all of the problems, pain, sorrow, suffering, sickness, and sadness. But God wants to work on me first, because transformation won’t happen in my life until I renew my mind, until my thoughts begin to change.

There are three important reasons for me to learn how to manage my mind:

1). Manage my mind because my thoughts control my life.

Proverbs 4:23 reminds me to, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (GNT). My thoughts have a tremendous ability to shape my life for good or for bad. For example, maybe I had accepted a thought someone told me when I was growing up: “You’re worthless. You don’t matter.” If I accepted that thought, even though it was wrong, it had shaped my life. I must choose what thoughts I will let affect me for good or for bad.

2). Manage my mind because it is the battleground for sin.

All temptation happens in the mind. Paul says in Romans 7:22-23, “I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin” (TLB). One reason I get mentally fatigued is because there’s a battle in my brain 24 hours a day. It’s debilitating because it’s intense, and it’s intense because my mind is my greatest asset. Satan wants my greatest asset!

3). Manage my mind because it’s the key to peace and happiness.

An unmanaged mind leads to tension. A managed mind leads to tranquility. An unmanaged mind leads to conflict. A managed mind leads to confidence. When I don’t try to control my mind and the way I direct my thoughts, I will experience an enormous amount of stress in my life. But a managed mind leads to strength, security and serenity.

“Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NLT).

Bottom Line:

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

What this means to me:

I need to guard my heart above all else, for it will determine the course of my life.

In summary, I need to really guard my heart above everything else, for it has the power to determine the course of my life. My heart is the cockpit of my life. It determines how I live. Therefore I should concentrate on those desires that will keep me on the right path. I need to put  some boundaries on my desires, keep my eyes fixed on my goal and avoid being sidetracked. God is far more interested in changing my mind than he is in changing my circumstances. Transformation won't happen in my life until renew my mind, until my thought begin to change. Therefore I need to manage my mind because my thoughts control my life, and it's the battleground for sin, and it's the key to peace and happiness.

Today’s I need to consider what I’ve been filing my mind with that please or disappoints God. I need to practice those things that will help me manage it. When I feel myself getting distracted I can bring to mind Proverbs 4:23 and remind myself to guard what I fill my mind with. This morning Father I pray and ask for your continued wisdom and guidance in how I handle my job, how I lead my team and how I interact with others. Help me to live a life that will help make a difference in the lives of others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen!