Isaiah 8:11  “This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people …”

Isaiah was a prophet who had been appointed by God as His servant and to speak on His behalf. For him to achieve success, he needed to think in a manner that was distinct from that of everyone else. A significant portion of our actions are determined by our thoughts.

Proverbs 23:7  “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he …”

That reminds me of Steven Covey’s truism:

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”

It all begins with how we think! That’s the power of a thought! How do you think? Do you think like everyone else? The Christ follower is motivated by deeper thoughts – the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:5  “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus …”

How do we get the mind of Christ? First, by receiving His life! When we open our hearts to Christ and turn from our sin to Him, He comes by His Spirit to take up residence in us. As we release control of our lives to Him, He teaches our minds to think differently. We begin to think His thoughts as we learn His will from His Word.

Philippians 4:8   “Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 you want to change the way you think so that you don’t think the same way as everyone else, you should start thinking about things that are wonderful and deserving of praise right now. Consider what is genuine, honourable, right, pure, gorgeous, and admirable. Think about what is true. When you do that, you won’t have any time left over to worry about your other concerns!