Jump Start # 1649

Proverbs 12:5 “The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

 The thoughts of the righteous…that’s a great verse and a great concept. Just what do righteous people think about? Paul told the Philippians to let their minds dwell upon things that are pure, right, lovely and of good repute.

What we think about becomes the basis of our conversations. What we think about forms our choices and our actions. The thoughts of the righteous. Last evening I had dinner with a group of righteous people. My wife was there. A visiting preacher was there. Two of our shepherds were there. It was a great conversation. We got to know each other better. We talked about our past. We shared ideas. We talked about how our shepherds did things. We laughed. We listened. We shared. We benefited. The thoughts of the righteous…what a wonderful idea that is.

Here are a few ideas that come from “the thoughts of the righteous.”

First, spend some time with righteous people. They are not all stuffy as you might think. They are kind, thoughtful, fun, and encouraging. Including them as a part of your support group will help you so much. Ask the righteous questions. Ask them for advice. Seek their counsel. We are not in competition with each other as individuals or as congregations. We want the righteous every where to do well. We want all congregations growing and thriving in the Lord. Let’s not be jealous, but rather be helpful. Be encouraging.

Second, talk openly and freely about what works and what doesn’t work and what are your concerns. Sharing ideas, like sharing recipes, is helpful and good. Learn from each other. What makes a strong Christian strong? What are the concerns of a preacher? The thoughts of the righteous…

Third, Share tips that you have found that helps you spiritually. Share insights that you have learned in your studies. Share your time. Share your self. Help the next guy out.

Fourth, the conversations and thoughts of the righteous reveal what’s on their hearts. The more we surrounded our selves with righteous people and engaged in conversations with righteous people the better we become. The righteous are not going to talk about others in a gossipy way. The righteous are not going to put others down. The righteous are not going to insult or embarrass others. The righteous are not going to  brag about themselves. The thoughts and the conversations of the righteous are going to be spiritual, wholesome and helpful. These thoughts are going to remind us of our purpose and our place. These thoughts will take us back to Christ. These thoughts will leave us better. Noble thoughts. Deep thoughts. Observations. Insights. Truth.

We live in times of shallow thinking and superficial conversations. Too many are interested only in appearance and what’s on the outside while there seems to be nothing going on inside. The thoughts of the righteous are going to take one back to Scriptures, even familiar Scriptures. Those thoughts will see applications and depth to the Scriptures. Those thoughts will cause one to dig deeper into the Scriptures. They will see things that others do not. They will explore ways to apply those Scriptures. They will find ways to improve self.

The thoughts of the righteous are where hope and the future come from. Plans are formed. Decisions are made when righteous thoughts are developed.

What all this comes down to is “what are you thinking about?” The thoughts of the righteous are just. The thoughts of the righteous are built upon trust in the Lord. Worry, fear, doubt loom on the horizon. The uncertainty of the future, the bad news of the day, can fill our thoughts and take over our lives. This is why so many live hopeless and fearful lives. Their thoughts are formed by others. The newscast, the conversations of family and friends, all shape their thinking and that is too often dark, negative and shallow thinking.

The righteous control their own thoughts. They do not let the darkness of the present hour to shape their thinking. Their minds are set on things above. They put their hope in the Lord. They control their thoughts. When everyone else believes that the sky is falling, the righteous sail through this day with hope, confidence and peace. The Lord is at the helm of the righteous. The Lord IS the shepherd of the righteous. Silly and useless stuff such as who kissed who in Hollywood doesn’t occupy the mind of the righteous. Their thoughts are on greater things. Their thoughts are on how they can improve themselves and others. They think about how to introduce the Gospel to more people. They think about how they can make Bible classes richer and better. They think about how to help those who are struggling in their faith. They think about Heaven.

The thoughts of the righteous…

What are you thinking about?

Roger