People Are What They Think About
People are what they think about when they are free to think about what they will, and this reveals their true nature and character.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that a person's true identity is revealed by what they admire and think about when free to choose their thoughts. He argues that external religious practices and appearances do not define one's relationship with God; rather, it is the inner thoughts and desires that truly reflect who we are. Tozer encourages self-examination of our secret thoughts, urging us to seek purity and alignment with God's will through the Holy Spirit.
Text
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. --Proverbs 4:23
Every person is really what he or she secretly admires. If I can learn what you admire, I will know what you are, for people are what they think about when they are free to think about what they will.
Now, there are times when we are forced to think about things that we do not care to think about at all. All of us have to think about income taxes, but income taxes are not what we want to think about. The law makes us think about them every April. You may find me humped over Form 1040, just like everyone else, but that is not the real me. It is really the man with the tall hat and the spangled stars in Washington who says, "You can't let it go any longer!" I assure you it is not consentingly done! But if you can find what I think about when I am free to think about whatever I will, you will find the real me. That is true of every one of us.
Your baptism and your confirmation and your name on the church roll and the big Bible you carry--these are not the things that are important to God. You can train a chimpanzee to carry a Bible. Every one of us is the sum of what we secretly admire, what we think about and what we would like to do most if we became free to do what we wanted to do. Faith Beyond Reason, 96.
"Lord, You know the secret thoughts of my heart; nothing is hidden from You. May those thoughts be pure thoughts, pleasing to You, completely under the control of Your Holy Spirit. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- What People Are
- What We Think About
- What Is Important to God
- Forced thoughts are not what we want to think about
- Free thoughts reveal our true selves
- God looks at our heart, not external actions
- We are the sum of our thoughts and desires
Key Quotes
“Every person is really what he or she secretly admires.” — A.W. Tozer
“People are what they think about when they are free to think about what they will.” — A.W. Tozer
“You can train a chimpanzee to carry a Bible.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should be mindful of our thoughts and desires, as they reveal our true nature and character.
- We can control our thoughts and desires by submitting to the Holy Spirit and seeking to have pure thoughts that are pleasing to God.
- We should not focus on external actions or appearances, but rather on the condition of our heart and mind.