Proverbs 23:7 reads, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
With practice, you can become a good thinker. Observe two things:
1) Good thinkers have foresight.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit” (Proverbs 21:5). The word “diligent” means “to work, study, and plan.” You don’t stumble into success and figure it out afterward. Whether you’re in business or ministry, your level of success will increase dramatically if you place a high value on good thinking.
Novelist Victor Hugo wrote, “A small man is made up of small thoughts.” People who don’t practice good thinking usually find themselves at the mercy of circumstances – or other people’s thoughts. Unable to solve problems, they find themselves facing the same obstacles over and over. And because they don’t think ahead they’re habitually in reaction mode.
An old German proverb says, “Better an empty purse than an empty head.” Good thinkers overcome difficulties, including lack of resources, that often leave poor thinkers at the mercy of good thinkers. In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen says, “All that a man achieves or fails to achieve, is a direct result of his thoughts.” Do you believe that? If you do, you’ll place a high value on good thinking and make it a priority in your life.
2) Good thinkers look for the best, not the worst.
They live by this scriptural principle: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
© 2017 CE