To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part One
Romans 7: 22 – 25
Jesus “…works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2: 13).
The dynamic living Lord Jesus spiritually indwells the believer. Two of the many functions He performs are to motivate and enable a person to do what is right.
He is responsible for the IN-WORKING we for the OUTWORKING. Somewhere between the in-working and the outworking there is often a breakdown. Romans 7: 19 speaks embarrassingly for most of us: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
Is that a painful description of you? None can answer “yes,” with pride. Well, then if there is no pride let there be no contentment in continuing a herky-jerky, on-again-off-again lifestyle.
Christianity isn’t intended to be a series of ups and downs. It is to be a succession of ins and outs. Jesus works in us that His will might be worked out by us.
Two full-time college students majoring in music were discussing their part time jobs. One said, “I work in the opera at night. The pay is good even for my bit role as a spear carrier.”
The second, knowing of his fellow students’ long day and heavy schedule said, “How do you stay awake so late at night?”
“Simple, the guy behind me carries a spear also.”
We need to develop the mind-set of a person with a motivating spear carrier behind him if we are to avoid doing what we should not and instead doing what we should. To do this a certain mind-set is essential.
Before medical science had progressed to know better it was believed that conscious thoughts came from the heart. Knowing the heart pumped blood it was thought of as being the point of origin for thoughts which were believed to be carried from the heart to the brain by the blood. Figuratively, this language was used by Jesus who said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” (Matthew 15:19).
If we are going to do what we should and avoid what we should not do we must preempt improper thoughts. Don’t program your mind with secret improper thoughts and expect your conduct to be proper. We need to learn mental discipline. A technique for doing this is noted in II Corinthians 10: 5.
“…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” It is called discipline. If you want to discipline your conduct, discipline your thoughts.