Dr. Jeff Stott
The Bible contains several spiritual laws or principles that deal with your mind. One of those laws is called “The Law of Thought-Direction.” This law says that the way you think determines how you behave. Your mindset will establish the kind of decisions you will make and those decisions will determine the direction of your life. The way you think determines where you go in life and how you behave. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (NIV). In the Old Testament the “heart” includes the mind (the part of you that thinks, believes, and reasons). You are to guard your heart (and mind) because out of it your life springs up. The kind of life you have is determined largely by how you think. The New Century Version paraphrases this verse: “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” How you think directs your life. Your thoughts will direct your decisions. Your thoughts direct what you will do and not do. Your thoughts control your life.
For example, there are those who have a people-pleasing mindset (basing your decisions on others feelings). If you think that pleasing people is more important than obeying the Word, then your decisions will be based on pleasing people and not on pleasing God. Sometimes obeying God’s Word makes those around you unhappy. Doing God’s will is not always popular. When a crisis is reached where the choice is to either make someone happy or to obey the Word, the people-pleaser will disregard God’s Word for the happiness of the other person. You do not want to have a people-pleasing mind-set, you want to have a God-pleasing mind-set. Be very careful what you think, because your thoughts direct your life.
A second mind-set might be called an emotional mindset. An emotional mindset is having your thoughts and mind governed by your feelings. You feel your way through life and problems. Your decisions are based on how you feel or others feel. Your emotions can be very deceptive and misleading. Someone offends you and you are feeling hurt and angry: out of your emotions you say things that don’t glorify God. You might belittle them or use language that’s not appropriate for a Believer. You are basing your decisions on emotions. Your emotions become the driving force behind your thinking which results in a life run by your happiness, discouragement, joy, depression, contentment, anger, worry or fear. The emotion of the moment determines your thoughts and actions. Be careful how you think, because your thoughts direct your life.
Basing your decisions on how you feel or how others feel is not God-honoring and will send your life in a direction you do not want to go. As a child of God you want a Biblical mindset. If you think that obeying God’s Word is more important than how you feel, then your decisions in life will be based on God’s Word not how you feel about it. Instead of being emotionally-driven or people-driven you are Word-driven. If you have a Biblical mindset then your decisions about marriage, money, church, telling the truth, relationships, and doing what’s right will all be governed by God’s Word. That places you under the protection and blessing of God.
Remember, we are talking about the Law of Thought-Direction. Listen to Proverbs 13:16 which says, “Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly” (NIV). The prudent or practical person acts out of “knowledge”, not emotions or peer pressure. A prudent man is careful about his thoughts, therefore he will make wise decisions. His thoughts determine his actions. If you want to live a wise life then you have to start receiving the right knowledge and the right knowledge is found in God’s Word. A prudent or wise man acts or behaves out of knowledge based on God’s Word.
The Law of Thought-Direction says “the way you think determines how you behave.” Your thoughts direct your life for better or for worse. Your thoughts lead you into activities that will bless you or hurt you. If you don’t like how you react to people or situations; change the way you think. If you don’t like the decisions you have made then change the way you think. If you don’t like the direction your life is going then change the way you think. Your thoughts determine your direction in life.
