April 2023
“Stinkin’
Thinkin’
Won’t
Win The
Battle”
Have
you
heard
the
story of
the
farmer
who had
grown
discouraged
with his
farm?
Thinking
that
relocating
would
revive
his
diminished
contentment,
he
contacted
a
realtor
and
hired
him to
assess
his
property
and
prepare
a sales
ad.
Wanting
to
ensure
the
farmer’s
satisfaction,
the
realtor
called
to read
his
proposed
description
to him
before
sending
the ad
to
print.
The
farmer
listened
carefully
as the
realtor’s
voice
painted
a
picture
of a
good
location
with a
well-maintained
house
and
sturdy
barns
surrounded
by lush
pasture
lands of
fertile
soil, a
beautiful
pond and
a great
view.
“Does
this
meet
your
approval?”
he
asked.
“Read
that to
me
again,
please...slowly”
replied
the
farmer.
So the
realtor
read it
to him
again.
To his
surprise,
the
farmer
said,
“You
have
described
the
place of
my
dreams.
I have
changed
my mind;
I am not
going to
sell.”
This
is a
great
example
of how
one’s
perspective
of any
given
situation
in life
can make
a world
of
difference
in how
he moves
forward.
When a
person
is deep
in
thought,
we often
say that
we can
“see the
gears
turning”.
Seasons
of life
change;
we will
do well
to guard
against
letting
those
gears
turn in
the
wrong
direction.
Unguarded
thought
processes
lead to
what is
called
stinkin’
thinkin’.
Examples
of
stinkin’
thinkin’:
thoughts
of
Worthlessness
translates
into “I
stink”
resulting
in No
Peace
with
myself
Loveless-ness
translates
into
“You
stink”
resulting
in No
Peace
with
others
Bitterness
translates
into
“Life
stinks”
resulting
in No
Peace
with God
We are
not at
peace
with
ourselves
when we
think “I
stink!”,
we are
not at
peace
with
others
when we
think
“You
stink!”
and we
certainly
cannot
be at
peace
with God
when we
think
“Life
Stinks!”
The
good
news is
God has
the
antidote!
Get rid
of
stinkin’
thinkin’!
Paul
gives us
great
advice
in
Philippians
4:8
Finally,
brothers,
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.
Paul
emphasizes
the need
for a
HEALTHY
thought
life.
The
Christian
life is
more
than
external;
more
than a
list of
rules,
obeying
the dos
and
refraining
from the
don’ts.
More
challenging
than
obeying
a set of
rules,
successful
Christian
living
stems
from the
internal,
promoting
wholesome
thoughts
that
produce
godly
character
in
action.
Keeping
our
thoughts
on
things
that
please
God
results
in the
kind of
true-life
transformation
spoken
of in
the
Bible.
The
human
mind is
designed
to think
on
something.
The
question
is -
what
will we
set our
minds
on? Paul
encourages
us to
think on
the
things
that are
pleasing
to and
bring
honor to
God. The
Christian
mind
does not
belong
below,
in the
gutter,
but our
minds
are made
to be
set on
things
high
above. A
sure way
to
experience
revival
of the
mind is
to have
your
thoughts
set on
things
that are
worthy
of
praise.
Praise
and
thanksgiving
are how
a
renewal
of the
mind
begins.
NOTE:
The
religious
spirit
hates
revival
of any
kind!
Notice
that
Paul
does not
say we
are to
no
longer
think
any bad
thoughts.
Rather
he
simply
says we
are to
think on
good
things.
There is
a
difference.
Try this
experiment:
1.
Close
your
eyes and
picture
just for
a moment
in your
mind an
African
elephant.
They are
the
largest
animals
walking
the
Earth.
Do you
see that
elephant?
2.
Now,
stop
thinking
about
that
elephant.
No
longer
have any
thoughts
of the
elephant
- the
largest
animal
walking
the
Earth.
Do
you find
that
difficult?
I do.
You
cannot
just
stop
thinking
about
something.
In order
to stop
thinking
about
something
you will
need to
redirect
your
thoughts
somewhere
else.
Try
picturing
The
Lion, it
has a
muscular,
broad-chested
body;
short,
rounded
head;
round
ears;
and a
hairy
tuft at
the end
of its
tail now
you are
no
longer
thinking
about
the
elephant.
That
is the
kind of
help
Paul
offers.
He does
not just
say,
“Stop
with the
stinkin’
thinkin’”;
he says
we
will do
best by
filling
our
minds
and
meditating
on the
best,
not the
worst;
the
beautiful,
not the
ugly;
things
to
praise,
not
things
to
curse.
Think on
the
things
that are
good and
honorable.
What is
your
perspective
concerning
your
family,
your
job,
your
church,
your
house;
what do
you look
for...how
are you
seeing?
Do you
look for
faults
and what
is wrong
or do
you look
for the
best?
The fact
is there
is good
and bad
in all
things
and
every
situation.
What you
choose
to focus
on makes
the
difference.
How
many
blessings
have we
missed
because
we could
not
focus on
what was
right
but what
was
wrong?
Sometimes,
like the
farmer,
we need
someone
to show
us the
good in
what we
have
been
given.
Let us
think on
things
that are
true.
John
17:17
Your
Word is
truth
Let us
think on
things
that are
right.
Psalms
139:14 I
will
praise
You, for
I am
fearfully
and
wonderfully
made;
marvelous
are Your
works;
and that
my soul
knows
right
well.
Let us
think on
things
that are
lovely.
1 Peter
4:8 And
above
all
things
have
fervent
love for
one
another,
for love
will
cover a
multitude
of sins.
Victorious
by His
Grace!
Billie
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in the
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of HGI
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Ground
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Your
faith
will not
grow
into
great
faith
out of
great
effort;
your
faith
will
grow to
be great
out of
your
great
surrender.
Allow
your
faith to
deny the
influence
of the
problems
you
face.
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