28Dec

7 ways to shape up your thinking

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  I Peter 1:13, NKJV

God designed an amazing super highway between the heart and mind. Fearfully and wonderfully made – you bet.

What we know, that many don’t, is that through the power of the Holy Spirit,  we’ve been divinely hot-wired to achieve holiness.  God uses this intricate system. He deposits a revelation in the heart and transfers it instant express mail to the mind for processing, planning, and ultimately-execution.

The human mind processes billions of messages and most of the responses to them are automatic.  By the grace of God, you’ve been given a manual overdrive called choice. The tricky part is slowing down long enough to own it and exercise it. If  you do, you’ll choose differently what you allow in and what you let out.

If you want His Light to be on your outbound express – then get started on today’s shape up plan for your thinking:

  • Think inclusive, not exclusive, before you engage.
  • Stay abreast of current events and consider how they impact members of your online communities and the world, before you add to the conversation.
  • Review carefully and approve all links to videos, slide shows, blogs, and articles and thoughts that are not your own.
  • Remember to properly attribute quotes, articles, and thoughts that belong to someone else.
  • Refrain from the instant impulse to use social media as a platform to aggravate political, religious, or social arguments.
  • View social media as a tool to educate, edify, and inform.
  • Think carefully about how you create emphasis-for example, remember writing in all caps is the equivalent of yelling at someone. (Is that really what you want to do?)

Post / Tweet this:

Check your thoughts at the foot of the throne and God will edit them through the filter of His holiness. #LiveSticky

How else can a digital scribe shape up his or her thinking to be His Light – online?

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  • http://www.tonyjalicea.com Tony Alicea

    Can you elaborate on what you mean by “think inclusive”?

    I do love these points. All great ones that I plan to use.

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  • Tami Heim

    Good question Tony – that deserves a deeper dive.

    Inclusive thinking means you deliberately post content or lead conversations online where others feel comfortable to join in with you. It’s about being approachable. Are you asking questions? Are you inviting others to share their thoughts with you? Are you listening? Do you actively acknowledge and respond to others when they contribute to the conversation? Are you open to expanding the active members of your online community? Are you willing to meet people where they are? Are you letting His light shine through you for ALL to see?

    Just taking the time to be thoughtful and considerate of how others might see, hear, and receive what you are sharing online can make a big difference in their desire to connect personally with you. When you purposely think ‘inclusive’ – you broadcast the message, “You are welcome here.”

    Exclusive on the other hand, only cares about impressing or engaging with a small group. It intentionally, or unintentionally, flashes “Elite Only.” I’m sure you’ve seen those that only acknowledge a very small number of people and when someone else tries to participate, he or she is painfully ignored. The message there is “You aren’t good enough for us.”

    Jesus was and is inclusive. He came so that ALL may know the Truth and have the chance to respond to His invitation. There is nothing that is beyond the reach of His grace. If we’re going to make a dent in this online space for His glory – we need to follow His example. The scripture tells us – as a man thinks so he is- therefore think inclusive.

  • Anonymous

    My thinking gets a workout when I watch the news with a biblical point of view. Some days it’s easier to bury you head in the sand and be overwhelmed by the current events of this world. That’s not why God put us here in this time and place. When I really discipline myself to engage and dig into world events with a biblical perspective, I find that my voice and my life—in Christ—has incredible power to change things. To weave in what He shows me is the gain I experience here. If I can rely on God and not myself to move mountains, I can actually see signs of progress that His name is being spoken in this messy world.

  • Anonymous

    My thinking gets a workout when I watch the news with a biblical point of view. Some days it’s easier to bury you head in the sand and be overwhelmed by the current events of this world. That’s not why God put us here in this time and place. When I really discipline myself to engage and dig into world events with a biblical perspective, I find that my voice and my life—in Christ—has incredible power to change things. To weave in what He shows me is the gain I experience here. If I can rely on God and not myself to move mountains, I can actually see signs of progress that His name is being spoken in this messy world.

  • http://twitter.com/SandraHeskaKing SandraHeskaKing

    Toni, this is something I have to work on. I tend to ignore most current events in my tweets and posts, I think because I fear confrontation. And yet we have the opportunity and ability to shine hope in a world overcome by fear/

  • http://twitter.com/heartcures Melinda Lancaster

    I guess it almost goes without saying that we need to spend extra time in God’s Word. Yet I feel the need to remind myself that His Word has the ability to shape & renew my thoughts like nothing else in this world.