Proverbs 12:5. The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
Did you know that you have a “thought life?” All of us do. We all have certain things that we think about. Thoughts that we run back to over and over again. In fact, we are all constantly thinking about something aren’t we? The word thoughts here can also be translated as “plans” or “intentions.” We are all constantly making plans. Big plans, little plans. And we all act from our intentions. Generally speaking, we do what we intended to do (or at least we try).
Solomon is contrasting two kinds of people and two ways of thinking. The righteous have good and just (fair) thoughts. The wicked have counsels that are deceitful (lies). The righteous person is thinking about how they can do what God honors. The wicked person is planning how to get away with trouble. The righteous person thinks about how to care for others, the wicked person thinks about how to manipulate others and help themselves.
The truth is that we are all duplicitous aren’t we? We have both kinds of thoughts, righteous and wicked. We make plans that help others and we make plans that help ourselves. Sometimes we plan to help ourselves by helping others. At times we think good things and at other times we think bad things. And sometimes we think good things and bad things at the same time. The book of James calls this doublemindedness, and declares that the double minded person is unstable in all their ways.
Such duplicity can be quite common for the person who is in Christ. Have you ever wondered if that thought in your head comes from the Holy Spirit inside of you or from the indwelling sin that lives inside of you? Every Christian has. That’s because the battle for our thought life is very real. When you are in Christ you have the mind of Christ, but scripture also makes it clear that our mind must be renewed in Christ over and over. Our thoughts must be conformed to the thoughts of Christ. Our plans must be brought in step with the Spirit. This mind renewal doesn’t just magically happen; it is an ongoing act of faith. Bringing our thoughts in line with Christ’s own thoughts is possible, but only by such faith. Only by trusting in what Christ has done for us moment by moment, literally, thought by thought until it begins to become instinctual.
Our greatest tool in this battle for mind renewal is the word of God. Listen to how Hebrews puts it:
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The word of God pierces us to the deepest part of us, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Those whose hearts are truly connected to Christ will be transformed by the word. Thoughts, plans, intentions will change. They must. Why? Because the Spirit of Christ in you will always allow the word of Christ to tear you open and reveal the Jesus in you. It will always allow the Spirit of Christ in you to be distinguished from the indwelling sin in your soul, a distinction that allows the life of Jesus to then take over the soul so that, truly, the thoughts of the righteous in Christ will be just.
You: In what ways, if any, are you double minded? Does the word of God change your mind?
You in Christ: How does knowing that you have the thoughts of Christ allow you to battle the fleshly thoughts that try to compete with the Spirit in you?
Christ in you: Is there an ongoing mindset that needs to be transformed in you? Is Jesus asking you to think about something differently?
Pray: Father, by your Son I am righteous. By your Spirit transform my mind into his very own mind. Amen.
To Live is Christ 