The Power of Thinking Right

Someone once said you could tell more about a person from their checkbook and their calendar than from anything else they have. The reasoning is simple. People spend their time and money on the things that are important to them. There is another important gauge of a person’s interest that is much more difficult to identify. If you can determine the things that a person thinks about all the time, you can know who they really are.

It has also been said that we become what we think. This line of thinking prompted William Barclay to write, “This is something of utmost importance, because it is the law of life that, if a man thinks of something often enough, he will come to the stage when he cannot stop thinking about it.” In other words, our thoughts can consume our time and energy and can go along way toward determining who we are going to become. Obviously there are some limitations in this theory. For example, if someone is 5’4’’ tall and weighs 240 lbs. and has a vertical jump of 6 inches, he is not going to play in the NBA no matter how much he thinks about it. Such an extreme illustration doesn’t change that it is important how we think because our thoughts play an important part in who we are and who we become.

Since our thoughts are this important, it would behoove each one of us to make a resolution at the beginning of this year to think right thoughts during the coming year. In Philippians 4:8 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (NASV). It would not be a bad idea for each one of us to adapt this verse for our resolution for 2012.

If we are serious about such a resolution, it will affect our lives dramatically. It will influence where we go, what we watch, what we read, and what we listen to. The results could be a changed life. Changed lives could mean happier homes and better communities. Considering the possible benefits, it is a resolution worth at least thinking about. After all, if you think about it enough, it may become who you are.