Thinking About Thoughts

Someonewisely observed …
  whenin PUBLIC      watch your ACTIONS

 whenat HOME        watch your WORDS

 whenin PRIVATE     watch your THOUGHTS

and some 25 years of prison visiting certainly has verified that observation !

Our time regularly visiting the local Pareremoremo Prison – mostly on a weekly basis, for those 2.5 decades taught my wife and I and
others, some valuable lessons about life and people.   It was our
University, and our Church, and gave me some of the best times of
'fellowship' that I have ever had on this planet.   For inside there,
behind thebars and several sets of locked doors, there was stark reality –what one wore, where one lived, in which suburb etc, what car
one drove, ALL such EXTERNALS didn't really matter.   All that mattered
was … DID YOU CARE ! And just what was your motivation for being there
?    We quickly learned that we were amongst the“street wise” and that
you cant  CON a CON …  that these boys'can quickly spot a phony, and sort them out in their own manner !

Iloved it … where else could you find that 'externals' were stripped
away and you could share heart to heart, even spirit to spirit.    I
frequently came out from a visit feeling  'cleansed'   and somehow
'refreshed'   and invigorated.

And another visitor with us when I asked him each time  “how did that
go?”    answered much the same every time ... “man I got
blessed tonight !”

for  it is more blessed to givethan to receive    Acts 20:35

One thing to learn 'inside' is that you cant judge by appearances –as many were not of our skin colour / race, nor age, and had copious tattoos, and then there were certain different smells to get used to !
But there was stark and simple reality and much to learn, and to meet some real personalities, and one account of themost amazing testimony of conversion that happened 'inside' that Ihave ever heard – but that's a complete story in itself for another time !

Our daughter, being curious, came in with us once, and when I asked her afterwards what she thought of it all, said “why, they are just ordinary people / boys, no different from those 'outside' “ I replied “did you expect them to have horns? Yes, they are just ordinary people that have made a few wrong choices”

But back to what caused this writing - the effect of our inner thoughts and our thought life … that we are merely the total sum of our
thoughts… for as a man thinks in his heart, so he is   Proverbs 23:7

And  God searches the heart    Jeremiah 17:10

and  understands our thoughts afar off   Psalm 139:2

Thoughts that become words then actions ... and then become habits ...James1:15

Which is a colossal realisation that has greatly influenced me and
helps keep me 'on track' To learn to control the 'eye gate' that
feeds the mind.

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks .. Matthew 12: 34

Rubbishin  =   rubbish out    says the computer experts !

And our minds are like sophisticated and complex computers … in this age
of the Internet and its murky and alluring depths  -   know what I mean
?

So be careful little eyes what you see …
goes the children's chorus

there'sa Father up above           and He's looking down in Love

So be careful little eyes what you see !

...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…. and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:8,9

 

a last thought …       Christianity is not supposed to be 'a spectator sport' !

justconsider ...          Matthew 25:35 – 45

 

Shalom