Sow A Thought--The Art of Mental Graven Images

Last night I picked up a book from my shelf called The Art of Thinking. The author had one idea that I couldn't seem to let go of until I wrote about it:

 "All we can say is: 1. That most of our mental operations are inseparable from images, or are produced by images...2. That those images closely correspond to wishes or repulsions, to things we want or do not want, so that this wanting or not wanting seems to be the ultimate motive power in our psychology, probably in connection with elementary conditions in our being. 3. That inevitably, people will reveal in their thoughts and speeches, in their outlook on life and in their lives themselves, the quality of the images filling their minds. Investigation and estimation of these images, together with investigation and estimation of our likes and dislikes, will tell us what we are worth morally more accurately than even our actions, for they are the roots of action" (19).

This quote in turn brings to mind the famous proverb often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." So, it hit me that we should guard our minds against these images and be very careful what we allow to enter our minds. I realize this is not a new thought, but it struck me in a fresh way.

Our thoughts are made up of images, so if we want to change our thoughts or our actions we have to tackle it at the level of the images. Maybe this I why God placed a ban on idols and graven images in Israel. In the classic book 1984 Orwell writes about the idea that if a society eliminates words from the vocabulary it also eliminates the ideas associated with those words. If you don't have words to convey a concept, it's difficult to have a clear thought, let alone pass it along.

So what if these mental images work in the same way? If we begin to eradicate our minds of sinful images--images that fuel covetousness, lust, pride, etc.--we begin getting rid of the building blocks of sinful thoughts and actions. The authors of Every Man's Battle propose this when they write about "starving the eyes." But it's not enough to get rid of these images (if we even can) without overwriting them with other ones.

This is where Romans 12:1-2 helps me begin to understand this process. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Paul adds more to this picture in Philippians 4:8 when he writes, "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."

If we want Christ Jesus to control our lives, it's time we start allowing Him to overwrite some of the corrupted files in our minds with His own image rather than lesser gods around us.

Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"A Penny For Your Thoughts"

People do not say this little phrase much any more. There may be a few reasons for this. For one, we so rarely have to guess what someone is thinking these days, because they will tell you every little thought that runs through their head and/or every minute detail of their private life with or without your solicitation. Secondly, in this tough economy the value of most thoughts are hardly worth the penny. So, what are our thoughts worth, and how can we know?

In Ernest Dimnet's classic work The Art of Thinking, he dedicates a whole chapter to estimating thoughts. He writes that, "Introspection can be supplemented and controlled by two sources of information which we can hardly hold in suspicion: our private letters (now we might say our emails, texts, and Facebook posts), and above all our talk...What are we hearing ourselves say? Are we satisfied with merely speaking the exterior or interior cinema?...In the same way, are not our letter full of small talk and cheap details...If so, we cannot help escaping the self-pronounced verdict: ORDINARY" (p.26).

I believe he raises some excellent points. As Christians are we conforming our minds to Christ or the world's philosophies? We can take a mental inventory very easily: read through our emails, Facebook comments, text messages, journals (if we have any), and notice what we write about. We can also listen to the things we talk about with friends, family, and acquaintances. Are we discussing anything that we would want others to remember us for? Will our words benefit future generations? Or are they just ordinary (if not silly or crass) thoughts about our likes, dislikes, worries, appetites, etc?

It is surprising how many of the Proverbs discuss the relationship between our words and our thoughts. 

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech." (10:19)

"One who is clever conceals knowledge, but the mind of a fool broadcasts folly." (12:23) 

"Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find knowledge." (14:7) 

"The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly." (15:2) 

"The mind of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly." (15:14) 

These are just a sampling, but they convey my point adequately. According to the Scriptures, the quality of a person's thoughts--and even their true character--can be judged be what they say.

I am going to be honest and say that this scares me. I often catch myself saying utter nonsense for the sake of a laugh...or just for no reason at all. This is a good indicator of my heart and my thoughts. In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus puts it this way: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the the abundance of 
the heart that the mouth speaks."

So if we see bad fruit in the words we write and hear bad fruit in the words we say, then how do we begin the change? How do we become more Christianly Intellectual? That will be the topic of the next post, entitled "The Metamorphosis--Why Gregor Samsa Became a Roach and So Can You". In the mean time, take some time to evaluate the quality or the nature of your thoughts by thinking through what you talk about and what you write. You may be just as convicted as me and discover that most of your thoughts aren't worth a penny.