Finding True Happiness — Happy People Reject Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Finding True Happiness

This series is inspired by the book The Law of Happiness (Howard Books, 2011)

by Dr. Henry Cloud, a Christian psychologist and counselor.

Dr. Cloud’s book is a look at happiness from a Biblical/Christian perspective.

I’m building on Dr. Cloud’s thoughts and want to give him proper credit.

Part 9

“Happy People Reject “Stinkin’ Thinkin’” 

We human beings have been given as a gift by God the ability to think about how we think! It’s as if we can get outside ourselves, take a couple of steps away and assess ourselves. So, what do you think about how you think?

Dr. Cloud states, “The reality is that every single day, happy people are thinking thoughts that help them to be happy, and unhappy people do the opposite. This is one of the most documented realities in all of psychological research: our thinking affects our moods, anxiety levels, performance, and well-being. Why? Because our thinking and belief systems were designed by God to do just that.” (p. 110)

If we believe that God is all powerful, all good, and all loving then shouldn’t this affect our thinking about everything? The apostle Paul put it this way: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 12:2) Do we love God and are we willing to yield to His will for us? Then shouldn’t this color our thinking, color it in bright colors instead of depressingly dark and drab colors?

A good question to follow up the question, “What do I think about this?” is the question, “What does Christ want  me to think about this?” The apostle Paul said, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means yielding our thinking to the way He wants us to think.

The good news is that we don’t have to think the way we naturally find ourselves thinking. We can analyze our thinking, and if we find it to be “stinkin’ thinkin’” as the late Zig Zigler put it then we can address the issue and determine to do something about it. A major influence on our lives, something we do have control over, is how we think, about everything!

The Trail of Thought

I’ve been on some different trails lately. A few weeks ago we were visiting our daughter Julie and her family in Mexico. While there I take a morning walk up the mountain, following a horse trail for a good part of my walk. The hooves of the horses over the years have cut the trail deep, maybe six inches, at places. Then there’s the hiking trails in Turkey Run State Park in Indiana that Diann and I took while camping recently. These trails have been made by countless people taking the exact same path around a certain tree, over a certain rock, and alongside a certain hill.

Trails are made when the same way is taken time and time again. I got to thinking that the brain makes trails as much as do feet. When we think the same way over a period of time it becomes easier and easier to follow that train of thought, to keep thinking that way. It also is more difficult to take our thoughts a different direction.

This is both good news and bad news. It’s bad news when we allow ourselves to keep thinking harmful thoughts. It’s good news when we guide ourselves to continue to think helpful thoughts.

God has given us the amazing ability to think about what we think about! The decision is ours as to whether we create trails of bad thoughts or good thoughts.

We can think negative, hurtful, lustful, discouraging, and evil thoughts. We can also think helpful, loving, encouraging, and godly thoughts. The choice is always ours.

Is there an area in which you have to admit you’ve allowed yourself to lead yourself down a wrong line of thinking time and time again, perhaps many times through each day? Most of us can identify one or more such areas. It’s human nature (fallen human nature) to take the low road. The Lord calls us to take the high road.

“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.” (Philippians 4:8)

It’s time to cut a new trail! So, I just was wondering; what do you think?