What Structure Should My Thinking Take?
It goes without saying that thinking is inevitable and unavoidable. You cannot simply not think. Not thinking would require as much or more effort than simply thinking. As stated by Sproul in his introduction of The Consequence of Ideas, “I cannot not think. To not think is unthinkable (Sproul, 11).” Therefore, we as humans are in a constant state of thinking. With this being said, we should evaluate our way of thinking and make sure it is in line with the values we uphold to be true for our lives, but in order to make sure our thinking is in line with our values, we need to first examine our values.
The question is presented, “What structure should my thinking take?” If we are living beings who are bombarded with thousands of thoughts each day, then in what way should we think? Is there a right and wrong way in which to think, or a way to order our thought that is more “right” than another?
As university students, it is apparent, or implied at least, that we are in general concerned with gaining a deeper source of knowledge and challenging our thinking. If we are concerned with increasing our knowledge and being challenge in our thinking, we should stop to ask ourselves “What does out thinking look like at this current time?” and “What should our thinking look like?” In order to answer the initial question proposed we are required to examine our philosophy of thinking.
As Christians we have a set of values which we should not only live by, but think by as well. These values and morals are outlined in God’s word. By taking a look at scripture we can come to the conclusion that God not only designed thinking, but he commands us to use our thoughts to glorify him as well as our actions.
Additionally, as Christians, we should realize that God ultimately holds each individual responsible for his or her thoughts, with this being said, we should first consult God’s word to guide us in the right path as we examine our thoughts. From simply cracking open the Bible, it is clear that God not only values our thoughts, but He also has much to say about the way in which we choose to think. In the Bible there are 136 verses that reference the word “ thought”, 157 that reference the word “think” or “thinking”, and 156 that reference “mind”.
Many of these verses simply demonstrate or outline an individual’s capability to think and reason, however, many scriptures deal with the way in which an individual should think and address our responsibility to allow our thoughts to glorify our maker.
As we read through the Bible and come across verses in reference to the mind or the ordering of thoughts, it is clear to see that there is a distinct correlation between our thoughts, mind, and heart. The idea that there is a clear-cut correlation between the feelings bottled up in our hearts, the thoughts we entertained, and how we react by what we say and choose to do is clearly demonstrated in Matthew. Chapter fifteen, verses eighteen and nineteen state “ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander (Holy Bible, Matthew 15.18-19)”. If we compare this verse with Matthew 5:28, “ But I tell you that anyone that looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”, we can clearly see the relationship between these two verses as they reveal that the attitude of our heart produces thoughts and our thoughts lead to actions.
We need to evaluate our thought process and ask ourselves the questions: “How then are we to change our attitudes in order to change our thoughts?” Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us that we need to put off our “old self”, which is being corrupted with evil desires, to put on the “new self” created to be true and righteous, and to be made new in the attitude of our mind (Holy Bible, Ephesians 4. 22-24). In Philippians we are told that our attitudes should be like that of Christ Jesus (Holy Bible, Philippians 2.5). By comparing these two verses we can reason that we should structure our thinking in a way that reflects the thoughts and attitude of Christ. Later on in Philippians chapter 4 we are told that “…The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Holy Bible, Philippians 4.7). This verse just mentioned is paralleled with the verse following that states that our thinking need to revolve around true, noble, lovely, admirable, righteous, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts (Holy Bible, Philippians 4.8).
From a close examination of scripture it is evident that thinking in and of itself is simply not enough. We can think all we want, or in some cases do not want, but in the end we need to realize that our thoughts reflect our maker; therefore, we need to be aware of our thoughts and keep a tight reign on how we choose to govern our thinking. Our thinking not only reflects the knowledge we gain, but also what is in our hearts. We can conclude from the preceding passages of scripture that our thinking not only affects our inner thoughts, but can also produce outward actions as well. Our attitude should be as that of Christ Jesus, therefore, our thinking should be modeled after Christ.
Coming back to the initial question “ What structure should my thinking take?”, it is quite obvious that as followers of Christ, our thinking should reflect our relationship with Him, and also be an outward sign of the joy that is in our hearts. Our Structure of thinking should be such that we are able to glorify and exalt Christ through our thoughts and in turn through our actions.
Holy Bible New International Version. International Bible Society. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984.
Sproul, R.C. The Consequences of Ideas. Illinois: Crossway Books, 2000.
It goes without saying that thinking is inevitable and unavoidable. You cannot simply not think. Not thinking would require as much or more effort than simply thinking. As stated by Sproul in his introduction of The Consequence of Ideas, “I cannot not think. To not think is unthinkable (Sproul, 11).” Therefore, we as humans are in a constant state of thinking. With this being said, we should evaluate our way of thinking and make sure it is in line with the values we uphold to be true for our lives, but in order to make sure our thinking is in line with our values, we need to first examine our values.
The question is presented, “What structure should my thinking take?” If we are living beings who are bombarded with thousands of thoughts each day, then in what way should we think? Is there a right and wrong way in which to think, or a way to order our thought that is more “right” than another?
As university students, it is apparent, or implied at least, that we are in general concerned with gaining a deeper source of knowledge and challenging our thinking. If we are concerned with increasing our knowledge and being challenge in our thinking, we should stop to ask ourselves “What does out thinking look like at this current time?” and “What should our thinking look like?” In order to answer the initial question proposed we are required to examine our philosophy of thinking.
As Christians we have a set of values which we should not only live by, but think by as well. These values and morals are outlined in God’s word. By taking a look at scripture we can come to the conclusion that God not only designed thinking, but he commands us to use our thoughts to glorify him as well as our actions.
Additionally, as Christians, we should realize that God ultimately holds each individual responsible for his or her thoughts, with this being said, we should first consult God’s word to guide us in the right path as we examine our thoughts. From simply cracking open the Bible, it is clear that God not only values our thoughts, but He also has much to say about the way in which we choose to think. In the Bible there are 136 verses that reference the word “ thought”, 157 that reference the word “think” or “thinking”, and 156 that reference “mind”.
Many of these verses simply demonstrate or outline an individual’s capability to think and reason, however, many scriptures deal with the way in which an individual should think and address our responsibility to allow our thoughts to glorify our maker.
As we read through the Bible and come across verses in reference to the mind or the ordering of thoughts, it is clear to see that there is a distinct correlation between our thoughts, mind, and heart. The idea that there is a clear-cut correlation between the feelings bottled up in our hearts, the thoughts we entertained, and how we react by what we say and choose to do is clearly demonstrated in Matthew. Chapter fifteen, verses eighteen and nineteen state “ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander (Holy Bible, Matthew 15.18-19)”. If we compare this verse with Matthew 5:28, “ But I tell you that anyone that looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”, we can clearly see the relationship between these two verses as they reveal that the attitude of our heart produces thoughts and our thoughts lead to actions.
We need to evaluate our thought process and ask ourselves the questions: “How then are we to change our attitudes in order to change our thoughts?” Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us that we need to put off our “old self”, which is being corrupted with evil desires, to put on the “new self” created to be true and righteous, and to be made new in the attitude of our mind (Holy Bible, Ephesians 4. 22-24). In Philippians we are told that our attitudes should be like that of Christ Jesus (Holy Bible, Philippians 2.5). By comparing these two verses we can reason that we should structure our thinking in a way that reflects the thoughts and attitude of Christ. Later on in Philippians chapter 4 we are told that “…The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Holy Bible, Philippians 4.7). This verse just mentioned is paralleled with the verse following that states that our thinking need to revolve around true, noble, lovely, admirable, righteous, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts (Holy Bible, Philippians 4.8).
From a close examination of scripture it is evident that thinking in and of itself is simply not enough. We can think all we want, or in some cases do not want, but in the end we need to realize that our thoughts reflect our maker; therefore, we need to be aware of our thoughts and keep a tight reign on how we choose to govern our thinking. Our thinking not only reflects the knowledge we gain, but also what is in our hearts. We can conclude from the preceding passages of scripture that our thinking not only affects our inner thoughts, but can also produce outward actions as well. Our attitude should be as that of Christ Jesus, therefore, our thinking should be modeled after Christ.
Coming back to the initial question “ What structure should my thinking take?”, it is quite obvious that as followers of Christ, our thinking should reflect our relationship with Him, and also be an outward sign of the joy that is in our hearts. Our Structure of thinking should be such that we are able to glorify and exalt Christ through our thoughts and in turn through our actions.
Holy Bible New International Version. International Bible Society. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984.
Sproul, R.C. The Consequences of Ideas. Illinois: Crossway Books, 2000.
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