August 8, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

I Corinthians 7:40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

The apostle Paul finishes his teaching on marriage and the single life by saying: I think also that I have the Spirit of God.  In context Paul is not wondering whether or not the Spirit of God lived in him.  We know this because earlier in the book he wrote, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (3:16) He therefore must be speaking of knowing that the Spirit of God agreed with his thinking on this matter.

In each and every decision of life it would be a good thing if a person could say I think also that I have the Spirit of God.  This can be accomplished by going through these three steps:  1) Think about the decision or issue at hand and develop your own thoughts on the matter, 2) Search the Bible to see if the teachings therein agree with your thoughts, 3) Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to bear witness with your spirit that your thinking is indeed lined up with God’s thinking on the matter.

As with other processes of thinking this takes time, study, prayer, mental energy, and self-discipline.  This is why so few truly think out matters for themselves; after all it is so easy for someone else to do our thinking for us.  In the book of Acts Paul himself commended the brethren in Berea for their willingness to, well, the Bible says it best: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)

There was once a man who just knew that his opportunity to go to Heaven was based on his great religious works and his zealousness for his belief system.  Yet, when he came face to face with the God he opposed His thinking was changed.  He realized it was not the good works he could do that mattered, but the great work that the Savior did on the cross of Calvary that mattered.  He trusted the Word of God and forever settled his place in God’s family.  That man changed his entire philosophy and thinking of life by conforming his mind to the mind of Jesus Christ. That man’s name was Saul, he was renamed Paul, and it was he who wrote these words: I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William Howe