What do you think?

In the early 1900’s, an obscure writer by the name of James Allen wrote a book entitled “As a Man Thinketh” which has sold millions of copies around the world in five languages. Some go as far as to claim that this book helped spawn the self-improvement industry that was such a large part of the 20th century. Mr. Allen got the inspiration as well as the title for the book from Proverbs 23, verse 7: “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The essence of the book’s message can be found in chapter one:

A noble and God-like character is not a thing of favor or chance, but is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking, the effect of long-cherished association with God-like thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character, by the same process, is the result of the continued harboring of groveling thoughts.

You know sometimes I doubt in my heart that I will ever even come close to a noble and God-like character but then other times I feel as if it is the only thing worth striving for. After all God has done for us through the agency of His son, our Lord Jesus Christ, should I do any less?

Well whether I ever attain that for which I seek, I am convinced that the thoughts and ideas that I sow into my heart and life will have a huge effect on the attitudes and behaviors that follow. Due to the weakness of my flesh and the circumstances of life, I am continually being put in situations to make choices to avoid things that are detrimental to my mental health. I'm kind of a like a 'mental health food nut' who doesn't want to poison the ‘body of my mind’ with sugar or coffee or alcohol or fatty foods. Of course, sometimes I slip but for the most part I choose not to indulge myself.

It always seems kind of ironic to me when I encounter people who fully understand the need to take care of their physical body: exercise, massages, healthy diets, etc. but see absolutely no need to care for their soul or mental health through a similar type of regiment. Have you run into this attitude also? People who righteously refuse to drink soda or eat greasy foods but who think nothing about swallowing mega doses of idolatrous philosophy or pornographic songs and images? Ohhhh and it makes me wonder…

Well I've got my own hypocrisy to deal with as well as my own challenges. Sometimes I'm really good at avoiding the bad thoughts, ideas and philosophies but I don't spend a heck of a lot of time sowing good ideas in. I've learned that it takes a proactive stance to be able to truly be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2). It doesn't just happen because I keep bad thoughts at bay or don't dabble in porn or listen to hard core sexual music or avoid egregiously ungodly movies, etc. The real treasure lies in being able to control not only of what I don't think about but also what I do think about as well. In other words, to think about what I'm thinking about. I am encouraged by Paul's reflection in Philippians chapter four, verses eight and nine:
8 Finally, brethren, 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. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and worthy of praise. That’s quite a list. Paul sounds a bit like a good moral philosopher doesn’t he? Then he exhorts us to imitate his Christ-like example as well as to do the things which we have been taught in Christ and the God of peace will be with us.

I intuit a major difference between this Biblical exhortation to attain inner peace and some popular Eastern religious ideas that crop up now and again. My experience of the modern Eastern ideas has been that one needs to empty one's mind in order to gain inner peace. In contrast, the Apostle Paul is exhorting us not to empty our minds but rather to purposefully fill them with wholesome thoughts and then to act in a godly way in order to gain inner peace.

Perhaps this is why after a whole generation of Buddhist and Taoist practices and philosophies that have been introduced into our culture and language through pop music, people of influence, metaphysical teachers and new-age disciples we continue to see a rise in the number of FDA approved medicines aimed at reducing stress, acid reflux, heart disease and insomnia. It might be time to try something new and follow a more ancient path to peace. What do you think?

@ 2007 Joseph Ricciardi Jr