How ‘Think before you act’ applies to our daily life with God
By Dean Collins
We all have our impulsive moments. Some of these lead us to connect with an old friend, to do something nice for a loved one, or plan an experience just for ourselves. But sometimes an impulsive moment can lead to unexpected sorrow. Acting without giving much thought can take us a hundred different ways. If we develop a pattern of impulsivity, it can lead to many bad outcomes. It is better to think before we act in most cases.
I have a friend who more than a decade ago told me he challenged his colleagues at his company to schedule time just to think. He didn’t want them busy every moment, checking tasks off a list. He believed their consultancy would be exponentially better if they took time to think long, broadly, and deeply before they engaged in their work. But he also confessed this was very hard to implement, especially in times of crisis.
Psalm 119 is our longest psalm. It would take a couple of months to write devotional thoughts that spanned this entire psalm. I am slowly working my way through it, but I haven’t written much about it. I’ve just been thinking about it. I’m not thinking about what to write from Psalm 119; instead, I’m thinking about and trying to ponder some of the truth and goodness in these 176 verses.
Focusing on God’s law
One thing I have noticed is the number of times the psalmist focuses his mind and thoughts on God’s Law. At the time the psalmist wrote this psalm there wasn’t much of a collection of Scripture. His meditation would have been focused on what was available, which amounted to the first five books of the Old Testament, called the Pentateuch. My guess is that you, like I, spend much more of our devotional time in Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the epistles than in the first five books of Scripture. I honestly get very few devotional thoughts from Leviticus and Numbers!
We have exponentially more Scripture to guide us than did the psalmist, yet he used what he had and did a lot of thinking, seeking, meditating on, considering, delighting in, and rejoicing in God’s Word. The psalmist stored God’s Word in his heart and mind so he wouldn’t sin, so he would repent and recover when he did sin, and so he would find guidance, hope, joy, and life from the treasure of God’s wisdom and truth.
Verse 59 struck me this morning: “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.”
The psalmist isn’t condemning taking time to think. Like the friend I mentioned earlier, he’s s advocating for time alone with our thoughts. We would all do much better at most anything if we would just take time to think. What the psalmist is acknowledging is he has realized that his ways of choosing, acting, behaving, and living do not always align with God’s Word and ways. And when he slows down enough to evaluate his life and behavior, he becomes aware that he has drifted from a godly life.
Taking steps of repentance
Notice what happens after he thinks: “I turn my feet to your testimonies.” This is a wonderful example of repentance. When we realize our direction or our actions are inconsistent with our life in Christ, we must redirect our minds and even our feet toward God’s Word. When we do, our path is aligned with God, our heart is restored, and our love for others will be pure and undivided.
Verse 58 adds emphasis to verse 57: “ I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.” The psalmist is fully aware that there is urgency in getting back on God’s path. The longer we keep our feet pointed toward our own thoughts and activities, the further we depart from a life of real joy and fulfillment. Without repentance, turning our feet toward God, we will one day find ourselves far away from the life of a kingdom man or woman.
So before you jump in and take action on something today, take a few minutes to think about your choices and the actions you have planned. And more importantly, take time to meditate on God’s Word before you take your first step. I promise that if you do, your first step will land more firmly.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 119:57-60 ESV
Photo by chalis007 at unsplash.com
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