Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart. . . Perverse thoughts separate people from God
This section of Wisdom focuses largely on thoughts, feelings, and words as opposed to actions. Love righteousness. Think of the Lord in goodness. God is a witness to people’s innermost feelings, and observer of hearts.
It contrasts good thoughts and feelings and words with what happens with bad thoughts, feelings and words. Perverse thoughts separate people from God. Wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul. Those who utter unrighteous things will not escape notice. Report of the words of the ungodly will come to the Lord.
Today, I’m thinking about that adage, ‘it’s the thought that counts’. Reading Wisdom, I think it’s largely true. From a place of good thoughts, a good heart and good intentions come good words and ultimately good actions. Likewise, from a place of bad or angry thoughts and intentions come bad words and bad actions. And while this seems obvious, it’s not easy to actually live like this. It’s sometimes hard to have good intentions, and a loving heart.
There are two problems with those times. First, God’s a witness of those feelings, and of my heart. How much more convenient if I could curate when and where God can witness my life, and it’s embarrassing to think of God observing my crappy moods or less than kind thoughts.
The bigger problem is that chain of events that happens when something crosses your mind or your heart. When a loving or kind thought crosses my mind, I smile, take positive action, throw up a little thanksgiving. However, when a less-than good thought crosses my mind, I’m not really aware of what happens next, but it’s naïve to think the thoughts are entirely harmless and internal. Do I scowl? Curse someone? Withhold love? Use ugly words?
Today, I want to observe what thoughts cross my mind, what intentions come in my heart. When they are less than beautiful, I want to observe the resulting action, or words or intentions. I don’t think anyone can live in a state of perpetual bliss. But I want to be more intentional and aware of what happens inside me, in the less than blissful times.
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