The Importance of Good Thinking
2 Peter 1:4-8
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, ?perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in your godliness, ?brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. for if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor ?unfruitful in the true ?knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the very important, if not the most important thing for self-control is your thinking. What you think about has an affect on what comes out of your mouth. Your thinking also affects your actions and your emotions. The longer your mind dwells on bad thoughts, the more likely you are to say and do the wrong things. How blessed is the man that has learned to know the difference between good thinking and bad thinking.
One of the comments you hear quite often; “I spoke without thinking!” Do you speak without thinking? Our speech and our emotions are forces to be reckoned with. It is not wise to allow either one of them any freedom without doing some serious thinking.
The damage to our relationships is quite extensive because we don’t consider what these words and actions are doing to the people around us. And, how long it takes to redeem what our words and emotional outbreaks have done. I realize now that some of these things can never be redeemed.
If you are truly interested in spiritual growth you must begin to practice restraint and self-control. You will never come to spiritual maturity without it. I would encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to nudge you every time that you’re thinking and emotions are out of control.