Knowing The Truth

When I was growing up, I was taught to base my actions on what the Bible said. That was much better than most Christian kids were taught, I have since realized.

What I didn’t know until many years later was that God was more concerned about what I was thinking than He was about what I did. I hadn’t imagined that there would be times when I wouldn’t be able to do what the Bible said I should do until I first thought what the Bible told me to think. I didn’t realize that my future depended more on what and how I thought than on what I did.

It’s pretty easy, frankly, to overlook passages like, "bringing every thought into captivity," and "be transformed by the renewing of your mind," or "the thoughts of the diligent tend toward plenteousness." It’s quite easy to focus on what we see, since . we see it. It’s equally simple to ignore what we’re thinking.

In many cases, however, the Bible doesn’t expressly say, "think this!" We are told to think on what is true, for starters, and, for starters, we can look at the Bible for that.

I have known people who always did the right thing (at least what they perceived as the right thing­which was sometimes a version of straining a gnat and swallowing a camel) but clearly had such wrong thoughts about it that "doing the right thing" would have been repugnant to anyone who looked on.

For example, the Bible says to tithe. So I can tithe, thinking "it sure is a sacrifice to give this money, because I could sure use it myself. Sigh. But I’m obeying God, and that is all that matters. One has to expect that serving God would require sacrifice." Is that right thinking? And if it is wrong thinking, is my right action going to enable me to enjoy right results? (Note I didn’t question that it would bring the right results-only that I would be able to enjoy them.)

So if we are going to think true thoughts about tithing, our thoughts would be something like, "I am bringing my tithe into the storehouse, so there is food for the needy to eat. I’m really looking forward to when the Lord opens the windows of heaven and pours out a blessing too great for me to contain. And when that happens, I’ll be able to give into every charitable donation, and boy, will that ever be fun!"

It isn’t Biblical to think, "Look at everything I have to give up to serve God. I have nothing left." Truthful thinking would be, "The Lord has asked me to give up everything that was preventing me from loving Him with all of my heart. Everything I have given up at His command, He’ll repay me one hundred times."

Knowing the truth sets us free.

And if you agree with the truth in your mind, how can your actions not follow suit?

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