What Are You Thinking?

I want you to remember a number. Are you ready? Here it is:

6,200. 

That’s the number of thoughts the average person has every day! This number comes from research conducted at Queen’s University, where social scientists isolated “thought worms”—consecutive periods of time when an individual is focused on the same idea. So, a lot is going on in your head right now, as your mind whirls through all kinds of mental activity.

God is especially concerned about the content of your thinking—your mental activity. For God knows, in the words of Proverbs 23:7 (KJV), that as a person thinks, so he or she becomes. In the same way, as a congregation thinks, so it shall become. Saturate your 6,200 daily thoughts with the weaknesses of your congregation, and weak you will become. However, saturate your 6,200 daily thoughts with the strengths of your church, and strong you will become.

Now, I’m not saying we should ignore weaknesses, either in ourselves or in our church. But I am saying that what we dwell on—either individually or corporately—has a distinct outcome, either for good or for ill.

Is it any wonder the Apostle Paul encourages us to center and discipline our thinking? Specifically, “focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, CEB).

There are obvious personal implications related to Paul's words.  But also corporate outcomes, specifically for the church.  And so, in line with Paul's teaching, what is true about your church? What is holy about your church? What is just? What is pure? What is lovely? What is worthy of praise?

A few years ago, a friend had a bad case of warts. She tried everything: salicylic acid, liquid nitrogen, even duct tape. Nothing worked. Finally, the health professional she consulted suggested a strange remedy: think different thoughts about the warts.

Rather than dwelling on the fact that they were a pain (and they were), my friend was encouraged to dwell on the prospect of the warts going away. And they did!

We can’t say conclusively that thinking hopeful thoughts made the difference—maybe the duct tape worked after all! But in some way, my friend’s change in thinking contributed to a promising, healing outcome.

Have you noticed? There are warts all over the church these days: declining attendance and revenue, conflict over biblical and political issues, and tension between younger and older generations. In most cases, people dwell on the pain of it all. But Scripture encourages us to think about the promise of it all—believing that the troubling aspects of church life can be addressed, and that decline, conflict, and tension can be healed.

Now, let me clarify: I’m not talking about some kind of New Age self-talk. I’m not promoting the power of positive thinking. Instead, I’m commending the power of thinking positively about God and His priorities. For God is alive and working in your congregation with a determined intent for good and not for ill. God wants our churches to be effective. God wants them to thrive. God wants his church to flourish.

But here’s the question: have we noticed? Have we thought about God’s positive work? Are we dwelling on it?

Church, let’s dwell on the positive work of God! Let’s “give praise to the Lord; proclaim his name,” in the words of Isaiah 12:4–5. Let us “sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things!” (Isaiah 12:4–5, NIV).

Such an affirmation was very much needed in Isaiah’s time, for the Israelites were caught up in the negative—and for good reason. They were severely troubled as problems flared up from within and foreign enemies threatened from without.

But here’s the deeper issue: much of that adversity was of their own making. Israel had focused largely on its own agenda and mission rather than God’s. The result was idolatry, as they became preoccupied with their own consumption, convenience, and comfort rather than with the Lord's sacrifice, salvation, and sanctification.

Israel’s experience reminds us that our worship today only truly comes alive when we, too, face our idols. And let me tell you—they’re everywhere.

Author Tim Keller defines an idol as “anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give. Anything that is so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”

Idols are often revealed, in the words of pastor Jeffery Curtis Poor, through four questions:

• Where do I spend my time?
• Where do I spend my money?
• Where do I get my joy?
• What is always on my mind?

Examples might include money, career, technology, family, sex, success, entertainment, or material possessions.

Now, please don’t misunderstand—there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these things. In moderation, they are good and meaningful parts of life. But when we become more preoccupied with them than with Jesus and His mission, we step into idolatry—worshiping something other than God in Christ as supreme.

Listen: each of us has surrendered much to the Lord. But each of us—individually and corporately—still has areas not fully given over to God.

Thus, we must not only lift our hands in celebration, but also bend our knees in confession—bowing before the Master of the Universe, admitting that we have not always prioritized His sacrifice, salvation, and sanctification, but instead our own consumption, convenience, and comfort.

The result of such contrition is far-reaching. As we confess, we make more room for God. And when God has more room, God has more space to do even greater things.

So, if you think God has done great things in your church, you haven’t seen anything yet! But it all hinges on our willingness to relinquish more idols—prioritizing not our own benefit, but the cause of Christ—for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of one of the Church of the Brethren’s most remarkable mission outreaches: the birth of EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.

If ever there was a community of believers who model what it means to celebrate God’s faithfulness, it is this vibrant body of nearly one million brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet this explosion of the Gospel has not happened without warts—it has happened amid intense challenge and opposition.

For years, EYN has been harassed and persecuted by Boko Haram, one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. Over 1,600 EYN churches or church branches have been burned or abandoned, representing 70% of its material assets.

Yet EYN continues to thrive—overflowing with celebration.

Whenever Boko Haram invaded, EYN members fled their homes and church buildings. But it didn’t stop the church. Wherever they relocated, they established new outposts—new congregations.

Recently, an EYN leader reflected on this growth despite persecution:

“EYN is a wounded healer... Boko Haram has succeeded in destroying church buildings, thinking that they will stop Christianity. However, as we ran away, we ran with our faith—and Christ ran with us.”

My fellow believers, keep running with your faith—for Christ runs with you!

Yes, these are tough and menacing times. Warts are everywhere. But we celebrate a God who is greater than our warts—who is able, even in our most perplexing moments, to give us the power to flourish.

So, what are you thinking?

Are you dwelling on all that threatens you and chases you, or on the God who embraces you?

Every day, you will think 6,200 thoughts. Think thoughts of weakness, and you—and your church—will be weak. Think thoughts of strength—the strength and faithfulness of God—and you and God's church will be strong!