My pastor shared a marvelous concept in his sermon the other day. I am sure he won't mind if I share it with you.
He told us about when he was learning to snow ski - the instructor told him not to look at the tree or the person that he was headed towards. Instead, he was told to look where he wanted to go. He said, if you look at that tree that you want to miss, or that person you are trying to avoid, you will hit it everytime.
That's a great life principle, isn't it? How many times do we focus so much on what we don't want to be...whether emotionally or physically or spiritually...and then we wind up right there. We arrive at what we focus on, even if it's not where we want to go.
God exhorts us in Proverbs 23:7 - "As a man thinks in his heart, so he is." This is not a foundation for "name it, claim it" theology nor for "the power of positive thinking" . Rather it is instruction for the ski slopes of life - focus on what God wants you to become, not what you want to avoid. In fact, it's mighty helpful and encouraging to focus on what God says you already are - in Christ, seated in the Heavenlies, precious in His sight, a treasured possession. We can walk in this assurance towards where we want to go, loving God with our whole heart, loving others as ourselves, doers of the Word, enduring hardship, afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; rejoicing, always rejoicing.
Thinking in our hearts, setting our minds on things above. Don't aim for what's below - miss it instead!
He told us about when he was learning to snow ski - the instructor told him not to look at the tree or the person that he was headed towards. Instead, he was told to look where he wanted to go. He said, if you look at that tree that you want to miss, or that person you are trying to avoid, you will hit it everytime.
That's a great life principle, isn't it? How many times do we focus so much on what we don't want to be...whether emotionally or physically or spiritually...and then we wind up right there. We arrive at what we focus on, even if it's not where we want to go.
God exhorts us in Proverbs 23:7 - "As a man thinks in his heart, so he is." This is not a foundation for "name it, claim it" theology nor for "the power of positive thinking" . Rather it is instruction for the ski slopes of life - focus on what God wants you to become, not what you want to avoid. In fact, it's mighty helpful and encouraging to focus on what God says you already are - in Christ, seated in the Heavenlies, precious in His sight, a treasured possession. We can walk in this assurance towards where we want to go, loving God with our whole heart, loving others as ourselves, doers of the Word, enduring hardship, afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; rejoicing, always rejoicing.
Thinking in our hearts, setting our minds on things above. Don't aim for what's below - miss it instead!