Steps
In yesterday’s message, Brian included this quote:
“Watch your thoughts they become words. Watch your words they become actions. Watch your actions they become habits. Watch your habits they become character. Watch your character it becomes your destiny.” -Patrick Overton
That reminded me of this quote:
“Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -2 Peter 1:5-8 (NLT)
Which is all a good reminder that life happens one step at a time, and, if you don’t like where you are, you’d be wise to turn around and begin taking steps in a different direction.
One of the very first books I read on leadership was a book by Vince Lombardi, what it takes to be Number 1. Although it spoke of football and the Greenbay packers it was essentially a LOT about Character, self discovery, great content and still one of my fav’s. IN that book was that very same quote, I nLOVE it and love how you tied the 2 together with scripture. Nice. Very nice.
You become what you gaze upon.
Jesus… “If YOU want good fruit, YOU must make the tree good. (Matthew 12:33 A NCV)” … Our thoughts are like a plant, and WE are commanded by Jesus to cultivate good thoughts. IF we do this, our words and actions will follow. Solomon… “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Proverbs 4:23 NCV). Jesus … “a good man produces good from HIS store room of good, and an evil man produces evil from HIS store room of evil. (Matthew 12:35 HCSB)” How do we store up good or evil? We store up good or evil by consuming it into our eyes and ears, thinking upon it, and then finally living it out in our speech and actions.
Jesus…”Think carefully about WHAT you hear (Mark 4:24A NCV).” We store up things by hearing them and then by thinking upon them. IF we keep our minds full of good stuff, the bad stuff won’t have room to creep in. We should monitor our eyes, ears, and thoughts. Paul…”keep YOUR minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper, Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV).
Jesus… “The soil (heart) produces fruit of itself (Mark 4:28 HCSB)” We need to focus more on changing our minds than changing our actions. Our failure comes from trying to invert the two. Check out Jesus’ analogy in Mark 4:13-20. He compares the heart (minds) to the soil and God’s Word to the seed. The Word of God (or any word) is like a natural seed, and our thoughts are like natural soil. Watch the seeds that you’re planting and watering.
We can change our minds with our mouth. In Joshua 1:8 HCSB, God says…”This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then, you will prosper in whatever you do”. Read also James 3:1-2. Psalm 1. Romans 12:2.