Have you ever asked someone, “What do you think?” I think I can safely say that almost everyone has asked this question of someone else at one point in their lives. And, why did you ask this question? While there are several reasons why people ask this question, often the most important reason is because we want their advice, or opinion, on a difficult matter that we are having to make a decision on and we want to know what others would do in a similar situation.
In the Bible, anciently, kings had advisors to whom they resorted to when making important decisions. Here are two examples:
Absalom, son of King David, asked for advice. He was trying to take over the nation from his father. He drove his father and his father’s friends out of Jerusalem. He wanted to take full control of the nation and sought advice from two of his father’s best counsellors. One was supporting him, while one was secretly supporting his father. “And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.” 2 Samuel 17:14. The Lord orchestrated matters and Absalom chose the “wrong” counsellors and was eventually defeated.
Rehoboam asked advice and heeded the wrong counsel. “And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people. . . . My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. . . . King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men.” 2 Chronicles 10:6–11, 13–14. And we know the sad result of listening to the wrong advice—the nation was divided, never more to be united again.
As humans, we value the thoughts and advice we receive from our parents, co-workers, friends, relatives, church leaders, and ministers. There is nothing wrong with seeking advice and counsel. We are encouraged to do so, from those with more experience. “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14. However, we must carefully and prayerfully consider their responses and choose whether to accept their thoughts and advice. We cannot make their thoughts our thoughts and ultimately any decision we make is our own. We have to take responsibility for it. We cannot blame anyone except ourselves for the outcome of the decision.
There are false advisors, who give wrong counsel because there is evil in their hearts. Peter warned the believers of these types of people. “Peter urged home upon the convicted people the fact that they had rejected Christ because they had been deceived by priests and rulers; and that if they continued to look to these men for counsel, and waited for them to acknowledge Christ before they dared to do so, they would never accept Him. These powerful men, though making a profession of godliness, were ambitious for earthly riches and glory. They were not willing to come to Christ to receive light.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 43–44
“There is danger that men will receive the counsel of men, when by so doing they will discard the counsel of God.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 146
Now, the Lord is asking you, “What do you think?” Does He need your advice? When a school teacher asks his/her students, what they think, is the teacher seeking advice? No, they already know the answer, but they want to see what the students think the answer should be. Jesus asked this of His disciples. He asked them, “How think ye?” Mathew 18:12. Not that He wanted their advice. He simply wanted to ask them their thoughts on a parable He was about to relate. He already knew what the meaning was.
The thought processes that a person has are very private. No one can enter into the thoughts of another, unless divinely inspired, or revealed by the person who is thinking the thoughts. “And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.” Luke 6:7–8. Jesus could read their thoughts. Also, Daniel revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what his thoughts were when he was going to sleep prior to having the dream of the image. “As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.” Daniel 2:29
However, for the most part, the thoughts of a person are never revealed. One may be in a classroom at school, but their mind is on the football field. One may be in church, even participating well, but their mind is going for a walk in the park. One may be in the presence of another person in a social situation, and wishing they were not there, but too polite to bring the situation to a close, even though they wish they were elsewhere. One may have committed a crime, or told a lie, without getting caught, and they keep these thoughts hidden away in their minds. These thoughts are private. If not revealed, they will live and die with the person. They will be gone forever until the judgment when unrepented thoughts will come up again.
We have a saying in English, “A Penny for your thoughts.” When we say this to a person, we are wanting to know what they are thinking at that moment. Although a penny is not of much value these days, this saying originated over 400 years ago at a time when a penny was of much more value. In the time of Christ the workers worked all day for a penny (Matthew 20:1–2). So, in reality, there is much value to our thoughts.
If Jesus asked you, “A Penny for your thoughts,” would you freely disclose to Him your thoughts? We do acknowledge that He can read our thoughts, “For I know their works and their thoughts.” Isaiah 66:18. In the beginning the Lord asked Cain, “Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?” The Lord knew exactly what the problem was, but He was hoping Cain would acknowledge his negative thoughts and repent. The Lord asks you also about your thoughts, hoping you will repent if you have any negative thoughts; but, also, if you are thinking good and happy thoughts, He likes to hear those as well. We often speak what is in our minds, and Jesus likes to hold converse with His followers.
As I mentioned, our thoughts are more costly than a mere penny, for Solomon said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7. The solemn thought is that your thoughts can make or break you spiritually. They can determine your eternal destiny. Thoughts become words; words become actions; actions become habits and habits become your destiny. From the very beginning, it is said that the evil thoughts of man led them to become corrupt. “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5. Sadly, they perished in the flood. Their thoughts led to wicked deeds. King David was tempted with negative thoughts that he did not dismiss and he ended up committing adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Thankfully, he repented (Psalm 51).
“Many thoughts make up the unwritten history of a single day; and these thoughts have much to do with the formation of character. Our thoughts are to be strictly guarded; for one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul. An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind. If the thoughts are pure and holy, the man is better for having cherished them. By them the spiritual pulse is quickened, and the power for doing good is increased. And as one drop of rain prepares the way for another in moistening the earth, so one good thought prepares the way for another.” –Messages to Young People, p. 144
From the statement above, a key thought is that, “one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul.” Many take lightly one or two negative thoughts on occasion. “An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind.” Read the above statement again slowly.
When the thought of evil is loved and cherished, however secretly, said Jesus, it shows that sin still reigns in the heart.” –Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 60
Every day each person on this earth thinks. We all think many different thoughts. There is not a single person who does not think, and no two persons think the same things. We think of our daily needs and necessities—food, clothing, shelter, how we will pay the bills etc. Sometimes we face difficult situations and choices where we need to take more careful thought and consideration. At school or work, we have to think more carefully, more so than if we are just driving a car or relaxing at home. When no pressing task is at hand, some allow their thoughts to simply wander on any theme that comes to mind.
We may not have evil thoughts, but it may be possible to have meaningless thoughts, making little effort to think deeply. To these people the enemy will come and implant unholy thoughts and desires. We call these types of people “scatterbrains.” The thoughts of man do not naturally turn towards God, instead the natural man’s mind is both deceitful and wicked.
“Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words; and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us.” –The Faith I Live By, p. 327. He knows when your mind is wandering.
If you have scatterbrained, uncontrolled, or meaningless thoughts, they will prove your demise one day. You will reap a reward that you will not be very happy with. This is why the Lord Jesus tells us to fill our minds with thoughts of God, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38
The reality is that our thoughts determine who we are.
If we are plagued by uncontrolled or meaningless thoughts, it will be a challenge, but not an impossibility, to bring our thoughts under the control of Christ. It will take an earnest effort. “The corrupt thought is to be expelled. Every thought is to be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ.” –The Adventist Home, p. 127
It takes effort to constantly keep the mind thinking on positive themes and to control one’s thoughts, but the Apostle Paul tells us that we must do so. “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. These are the virtues that should play an active part in your mind and life. If we want to develop a good Christian character, we must think right. Instead of thinking about differences with others or being anxious about our daily needs, we should exercise our minds on positive virtues. And as we make an effort, it becomes easier and easier, until it is natural to have good and pure thoughts. It is no longer a difficult task. The mind will wander less and less on meaningless themes. If we want pure hearts, we must make a diligent effort to think pure thoughts all the time.
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2. “Set your affections” in this verse is literally translated from the Greek, to “Continually think of, or continually pay attention to.” In other words, make an effort to continually be thinking positive thoughts—thoughts from above, not from this earth.
There are many false Christians who, while making a pretense of serving the Lord, in private, they fill their minds with sinful things. These thoughts will control them and they will find no joy in serving God.
‘’‘Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it,’ said Henry Ford at the front edge of the Great Depression in 1929. Of course, we suspect that what Henry Ford really had in mind was productive thinking because all of us are thinking all the time about something. I mean, even when we do not think about what we are thinking, we are still thinking.” https://www.preaching.com/articles/preacher-to-preacher-thinking-about-thinking/
“It is your duty to control your thoughts. You will have to war against a vain imagination.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 82
Emptying your mind of evil thoughts is only the first part. You must fill your mind with good thoughts. An empty mind is of no value.
“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24–26
We need to pray the prayer of David, and accept the Lord’s answer, inviting Him to search our hearts. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23–24. We must control our thoughts to the extent that the Lord will not find anything negative when He searches.
The apostle Paul said, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2. It is interesting how he mentions here that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. The sanctification of the mind and thoughts is what will produce the character of Christ more perfectly in the believer.
If our mind is pure and clean, our actions automatically follow. And the key word is “automatic.” Ask yourself, are your thoughts automatically Christlike? Or does it take extreme effort? When we are in a crisis, are we tempted to curse, or to call on God—automatically?
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5. Paul again writes how there needs to be an effort on our part. The word “imaginations” in this verse comes from Greek noemata meaning, “reasonings or thoughts.” We are to cast down all unholy thoughts, bringing them into captivity, to the obedience of Christ. Then it is a fact that good deeds will automatically follow.
From the words of Solomon we read, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3. This verse seems to say the opposite of what we have been talking about (your thoughts will determine your actions), with Solomon stating that your good works will cause your thoughts to be established. If you think about it, though, in order to do good works, it takes a conscious decision (in your mind—your thoughts) on your part to surrender all to the Lord. You have already decided in your mind to serve God; and, therefore, following this decision (your thoughts), your actions follow. And once your actions follow regularly, your thoughts are firmly established in the right direction. They will no longer wander aimlessly. Thinking and acting go hand in hand. We will be judged, in the end, by our actions and our motives (thoughts behind the actions).
And finally, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. Literally translated it reads, “let this thought be in you.” This means the same thoughts that Jesus would think. We say, “What would Jesus do?” but I will say that we should ask ourselves, “What would Jesus think?”
What we think about is very important. Our thoughts will determine our character. As I said before, they will make or break us spiritually. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. Paul here brings out the importance of Bible reading, and for what purpose? He does not state, “Read the Bible and obey all its rules.” He simply states, that if you read the Bible it is like a sword that will reveal what is in your heart and mind—discern your thoughts and motives. This is what will determine your character and your fitness for heaven. Thoughts produce corresponding actions.
Matthew puts the sin of evil thoughts together with murder, and adulteries, etc. in the same verse. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19
“Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My words, nor to My law, but rejected it.” Jeremiah 6:19. The warning is given that you will sow what you reap—not only with your actions, but Israel was bearing the fruit of their thoughts. What you do is the fruit of what you have been thinking.
Why are we told to “pray without ceasing”? 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The mind must never be empty or left to wander aimlessly, and it will not be, if we are constantly thinking of spiritual themes.
The good news for us is that our thoughts are ultimately under our control. No one else can control what we think unless we allow that to happen.
So when the Lord asks you, “What do you think?” what answer will you give? May it be an honest answer because He already knows what you are thinking. I pray that your thoughts will be of such a nature that you would not be ashamed to face them in the judgment. God is love. Praise the Lord for this promise: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
Wendy Eaton