The last couple of days we’ve been through a number of logical steps in connection with this theme, Agreeing with God. And I want to begin today by reviewing those steps which are basically as follows:
First of all, we are invited in the New Testament to have fellowship with God. And that fellowship is pictured as walking with God. In order to walk with God, the Bible teaches we have to agree with God, harmonize with God, that is, bring our ways and thoughts into harmony with God's ways and thoughts. By nature, our ways and thoughts are not in harmony with those of God, therefore God has to do something for us. God does do something for us and He does it by sending His Word from heaven like rain and snow into our hearts, and that enables us to begin to reproduce in our hearts and minds, God's ways and thoughts.
The Biblical word for this change in the way we think is "repentance," and repentance is always the first step in reconciliation with God. All the way through the New Testament, you'll find from the ministry of John the Baptist, right into the Book of Revelation where Jesus addresses churches that have missed His purpose. The first requirement stated is, "Repent, change your way of thinking. Bring your thoughts into line with those of God.”
Then, the Biblical word for thinking God's way, when we achieve this, is "meditation," meditation in God's Law or meditation on God's Word. And the indication is very clearly and consistently that right meditation opens the door to God's favor and blessing, particularly, in Psalm 1, verse 3, speaking about the man who meditates day and night in the Law of the Lord. It's summed up in one beautiful, simple conclusion, "Whatever he does prospers."
In the following days, I'm going to explain certain specific areas of our thinking that need to change in order to align our thoughts with God. In other words, I'm going to consider what is included in that great, all-embracing concept of our thoughts. How can we classify our thoughts? What are the different kinds of thoughts or ways that we can learn from the Word of God?
I want to suggest four different kinds of ways or thoughts. And this is not intended as a complete classification, but just a simple, basic presentation. I would suggest there are four main areas in which we have to bring our ways and thoughts into line with those of God and I will list them as follows:
- Objectives
- Priorities
- Attitudes
- Categories
In every one of those areas we have to learn to think the way God thinks. In other words, we have to learn to enter into God's objectives. We have to learn to think in terms of God's priorities. We have to learn to cultivate God's attitudes. And we have to classify things in our minds according to God's categories. That is a very far reaching revolution we're talking about. That is the result of true repentance.
Father, the principle is so simple, but practice is often so difficult: to abandon my own thoughts and replace them with Your thoughts and ways. Help me to think your counsel and your Word day and night, because your Spirit lives in me. Amen.
