Thoughts Matter

There's the ancient proverb that reminds us of a perennial truth that "we reap what we sow":

Sow a thought, reap an act:
Sow an act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny.

Thoughts matter. How you think, what you think, and who guides your thoughts matter. Our mind is a continual stream of thoughts. One thought leads to another thought, that can lead us to act. Our repeated actions can become habits (virtues or vices). Through our habits we form our character. Our character leads us to our destiny.

What thoughts or streams of thought repeteadly enter into your mind? Do you think of life as a blessing or a curse? Do you think of the glass as half-empty or half-full? Are your thoughts about God and what God deems important, or are they thoughts of the worldly desires for power, prestige, pleasure, or possessions? Do you have thoughts of gratitude or thoughts of ingratitude, thoughts of hope or thoughts of despair? Do you fill your mind with positive thoughts of love, joy, goodness, beauty, kindness, compassion, and the well-being for others, or with negative thoughts of judgment, ridicule, indifference, envy, or hatred of others? Who or what guides your thoughts? Is it the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and Perennial Wisdom, or is it the latest fad, movement, or self-seeking and self-promoting politician, "expert," "opinion columnist," "influencer," "celebrity," "entertainer," movie or TV "star."

We are called to "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (Philippans 2:5). Therefore, seek "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).