Developing a Constant Supply of Godly Thoughts to Produce a Godly Character

Hebrews 4:12 – For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

As I previously highlighted, watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Watch your words, for they become your actions. Watch your actions for they become your habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

So developing godly character boils down to developing godly thoughts. A wise man said, ‘you are what you think’. Friend, what you look longest becomes strongest in your heart. In the light of that, I will focus on how to develop a constant supply of godly thoughts for godly character. The question now is where do we get our thoughts from and how are thoughts formed? There are many media through which thoughts are conveyed from one person or thing to another but there are only two main influences on all those media, namely, God and the devil. Please be aware, that the process of thought formation is mainly the same but the chosen influence determines the impact and consequences. Your choice of thoughts reveals the influence you work under.

For example, two people can face the same situation but react differently. Why? This is because each person’s internal formation and thought composition and content are different. John Maxwell said, life is 10% of what happens to you but 90% of how you react. It means that your reaction tells us who is really in charge within your inner man. To ensure that God, through the Holy Spirit, has freedom of expression in our lives we need to develop a constant flow of God’s Word though our minds. The eyes and ears are the gateway to our minds. The mind needs training to follow a path. Without proper training our minds become wild like an untended garden where thorns and thistles develop. Godly thoughts are not automatic they are developed and kept updated through consistent meditation and acting on the Word of God.

It is not enough to know the Word. You have to make it your vocabulary and act it out. Bible knowledge without proper use is unproductive.

Thoughts are generated through the media of the sounds we hear, the visual images we see, the things we touch and feel, the odours and smells we perceive, the things we taste and through spiritual impression and perception within us. Remember, we are tripartite beings, we are a spirit, we have a soul (emotions, will, and mind) and we live in a body. Two out of our three components are invisible so we are more spirit than physical. Therefore the spiritual perceptions and impressions carry more weight than the physical perceptions. That is why we need to really put a lot of value on our level of Word intake. The more of God’s Word we take in with meekness the higher our possibility of developing godly thoughts and consequently godly character. Also it helps us in making godly choices which are far better choices than mere human choices.

From personal experience, I have found that the more I approach the Word of God in a childlike manner and not as an expert, the more my inner eyes are opened and I see clearer each time. I find that my mind is enlightened and my body is re-invigorated. As I keep a constant supply of God’s Word through my inner man and I obey it, I produce more and more godly character in my daily living. However, whenever I reduce the intake or take time off the Word, I find that my spiritual sensitivity and grip begin to slip. I don’t mean that I keep the flow of the Word out of legalism but out of love for my relationship with God and love for my spiritual well being. Therefore, it’s up to you how high you fly and how much of a godly character you develop.

Remember, it is your character that defines your true worth in the final analysis. By their fruits you shall know them.

For Further Study

Proverbs 4:23; Joshua 1:8

Personal declaration for the day

I will align my character to God’s Word and create a godly destiny in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Questions for you to reflect on

How do you set and effect boundaries in your life?

What has become a ‘never to do’ in your quest to develop a godly character?