What we are linked to what we think

Lift up your eyes

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” It’s true. What we are, and what we are becoming is inextricably linked with what we think about. Because this is so true of your life and mine, we need to learn to control our thoughts.

In His book, “Love Can Open Prison Doors;” Starr Daily tells how while in prison he found the secret of controlling his thoughts. He was an incorrigible prisoner, and his guards, determined to break his rebel spirit, locked him in a room so small he could neither sit nor stand. In no time the pain was terrible. However, Starr Daily made the discovery that he could think of only one thing at a time.

By concentrating on pleasant ideas, he was able to crowd out the thoughts of his pain and suffering. No matter how excruciating, the pain no longer dominated him. Finally, the guards realized their punishment was accomplishing nothing. They gave up and set him free.

In the field of psychology this is called sublimation. It is the act of replacing a given value with a higher value. In practical terms this means we can rid our minds of unwanted thoughts by concentrating on desirable ones.

And this matter of replacement is a must. We can’t get rid of unwanted thoughts by saying, “I’m not going to think about that.” For example we may say, “I don’t want to think about the color purple. I’m not going to think about the color purple.” And all the while, what are we doing? We are thinking about the color purple.

But we can concentrate on the color blue and the color purple is crowded out. We can think of but one color at a time.

Paul was on to this very idea when he wrote to the members of the church at Philippi: “Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Dr. Beryl Lawn was right when in her poem, “Thoughts,” she wrote:

Choosing our thoughts, we choose

Our mood

Our actions

Our habits

Our character:

Choosing our thoughts, we choose

Our life.

Clyde Nichols is a retired minister, having served First Christian Church in Temple for 27 years as senior minister. He is the author of three books of devotionals and writes a religious column for several Texas newspapers, including The Reporter.