Thinking About Thinking

King Solomon said in Proverbs 23:7
"As a man thinks-so he IS."
I recently did an article on Daily Words about what King Solomon said and our service on Sunday morning regarding creating our "outer kingdom through our inner kingdom's thoughts.....we ARE what we THINK!
The Bible says so, therefore, it's undeniable...irrefutable, and absolutely true.
Give it a good old college try!
I challenge you! Not for an hour or a week, but for a couple of months at least...at least!
Surely we can think on the good, true, lovely, best for two or three months consistently!
Surely we can see, speak, and encourage, focus on the best. Surely we can think-all things work together for good for those who love God, and are called to His purpose (His purpose is to give you hope and a future, to prosper you and not harm you...Jeremiah 29:11)
His plans for your children is the same as yours should be-to give them HOPE and a future, to prosper them and to not harm them. ( NOT harm spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, verbally or physically)
I digress, however;
Thinking about thinking-
The dictionary gives more definitions of the word "think"  and how it's used than I've seen on any definition!
Think: to ponder, to reason, to think out rationally, to consider choices, make rational decisions, to consider (whether true or not) to devise or contrive, and on and on it goes.
We create scenarios in our Mind (SOUL) based on what we hear every day, what we see, and what we are told....our environment CAN and WILL lead us to either negative thinking or positive thinking.
Either we fill our thoughts with good or evil......IF we hear negative, bad all the time our thinking becomes filled with mis-trust, doubts, fears, anger, rage, criticism, rebellion.....all that can destroy us from within!
If we are told that we're worthless-we'll most likely become worthless.
We simply must "think on these things-if there be ANY good-think on this".
When a child disobeys they are NOT bad and should NEVER be told so, they are most likely just reacting to what they see others do or say in front of them.
Children and teens, especially, are like sponges who absorb their environment, soak it up, and spit it back out when 'squeezed'.
IF you want them to spit out good-you have to fill them up with good...they have to see it, hear it, watch it lived out in front of them.....they must be taught that they are loved unconditionally by God and mom and dad. (This NOT by words only-which are meaningless without SHOWING-not just telling!)
They must be treated with dignity, respect, trust, encouragement, uplifted, and most of all to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will be there for them no matter what. That you love them no matter what they do or say.
The only way to make them believe it is to THINK with the MIND of Christ yourself.....if you THINK them to be worthwhile-they will be worthwhile...and God loved you as a sinner (while we were yet sinners Christ DIED for us!), so no matter what your child does......love him or her the way Christ does.
Fill your own thinking the way you want your children to think-Godly thinking-
If your thoughts don't pass the "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" test....get rid of it! (Ephesians 4:30)
Don't THINK it, don't SPEAK it, don't dwell on it....keep your mind clean and your heart will be clean, and therefore your BEHAVIOR will be right-

The power of life and death are in the tongue and it begins in the THINKING!
From the mind (soul) to the heart-
from the heart to the mouth-
from the mouth to the very SOUL of the hearer!!!!

Lord God,
Give me words of Life-not destruction.
May I speak encouragement-
never defeat.
May I show my love-
not just tell.
May I persevere-
to teach those young ones how,
by my actions.
Give me strength-
to speak blessings, not curses.
Fill my soul (mind) with your truth and love-
that it may shine forth to light the path-
for those who see, hear, and think!