Mary’s song praises God because He scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. God’s is incredibly concerned about how we think because what we do is a product of how we think. Inmost thoughts steer all of life. Our quality of life is determined by our thought lives.
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Your Thoughts, Your Destiny
• Greg Boyd
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Mary’s song praises God because He scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has ultimate knowledge into the secret thoughts of man and is so completely just and faithful that he deals with the pride He sees. He scattered not on the basis of prideful deeds, but on the thoughts of man’s “heart” thinking, what people think without thinking, their core identity, those thoughts that one thinks when on auto-pilot. God’s is incredibly concerned about how we think because what we do is a product of how we think. Inmost thoughts steer all of life. Our quality of life is determined by our thought lives.
As a disclaimer, this is not an avocation for shallow positive self-talk where we practice seeing ourselves as rich and healthy, ignoring the realities that we face everyday. If you have a fever, it does you no good to lie to yourself and say that you are not sick. You should stay home and get some rest, not press on as if nothing is wrong.
Romans 12:2 is a foundational verse for understanding the importance of inmost thoughts. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The world grants us patterns of thinking, which inform us on ways that the world works. These patterns create our internal inmost thoughts, or a matrix within our mind. We are told by the world that these patterns are true and real, while in reality they are based on lies. If we look at the facts of the world, it seems that these patterns are true, but there is a deeper reality that is an alternative truth that requires a transformation of our minds to understand.
For instance, the facts of the world tell you that you will never get ahead financially and as soon as you are almost caught up, some tragedy occurs. If you accept these facts–being conformed to the world–then your inmost thoughts will dwell on how nothing good ever comes your way and that ultimately God does not love you as much as he does other people. While the facts of your life might reflect this pattern, it is not based on the truth of God. You must be renewed in your mind so that you can understand God’s will, which is good, acceptable and perfect.
Therefore no matter the circumstances that come your way, you have a choice as to how you will respond to them. Viktor Fankl, a survivor of Auschwitz said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.” Some will argue that they were born with a negative view of life. They love the story of Job because they love to remain in their state of complaining. Even in the worst of circumstances, we can choose to have our mind renewed and fix our eyes on Jesus, not on our troubles. This is the way to joy. This is the way to deliverance. This is the way to freedom.
Four summary points:
- You choose your thoughts.
- Memorize the truth of Scripture.
- Renewing your mind is a 24-7 job.
- Fix your eyes on the truth in Christ, not circumstances.
There is so much junk going on in the world, if you choose to see it the way the world gives it to you, forget walking in victory. If you think like the world, that’s what you will experience. But you don’t have to. We are the one people in the world who have the right to be optimistic even in the midst of trouble. Christ has overcome the world.
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Hope, Joy, Transformation
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Focus Scripture:
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Luke 1:51
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
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– Jenny, from Wisconsin