“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Proverbs 23:7 NKJV
As men, we are called to lead our families in the things of the Lord. Even if you are not married and have no children, you are leading yourself and called to lead others toward Christ. It has often been quoted that you can't change your circumstances, you can only change the way you think about them. I don’t agree with this. I believe if you change the way you think about your circumstances, they will in fact change themselves, either for better or worse.
The truth is our thoughts today determine our words and actions tomorrow. There is a direct correlation between the thoughts that we think and the life we will live. Immersing our thoughts in the word of God, the truth of God, equips us to believe the calling of God on our lives.
I have often struggled believing in what God’s word says about me because I see my failures on a daily basis. I’ve felt hypocritical believing the Bible when I knew my struggles were in contradiction to what it taught. However, I then learned about the difference between truth and fact. There are facts in life that we believe to be true, based on our current (or limited) knowledge. The truth is God’s word is a higher, a more true account of our lives than what we are experiencing now. In other words, when we read something in the Bible that seems to contradict what we see in our lives, it can be explained by fact vs truth.
The fact may be that I struggle with lust, but the truth is that I’m dead to sin. The more we grow spiritually in maturity, in believing God’s word about us, the more our facts will line up with His truth. Practically, we do this by holding onto His word in our hearts. Consider what Paul said about Abraham in Romans 4. Even when all hope seemed lost, he did not waver at God’s promise to him, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Therefore, we should not lose hope or waver on God’s promise. Commit to holding onto His word in your heart, declare His truth over your hearts and minds, and allowing it to conform yourself to Him. Begin to live for His glory!
Prayer
God, I know now that no matter what I may struggle with, Your truth is what defines me and what I may become. I do not excuse my sins, but I ask for Your forgiveness and Your love so that I may become more like You. Etch Your words into my heart, let them become part of me so I will always remember the truth: I am a son of You, the most high God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11 NLT
