…thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed… – Leviticus 19:19, KJV

In his audio recording The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale provides a perfect illustration of how the human mind works. Nightingale likens the mind to a field that a farmer plants. The mind, like the field, will return what the farmer plants. It doesn’t care what the farmer plants, but it will faithfully grow what it sown. If the farmer plants corn, it will return corn. If the farmer plants nightshade – a deadly poison – it will return nightshade. It is up to the farmer to choose what is planted; the field will simply return it.

In Proverbs 23:7 the Bible teaches us that a man is what he thinks in his heart. The character we exhibit to those around us is made up of the behaviors we engage in. But underlying our behaviors are our thoughts. Our thoughts drive our actions, so we must guard what kinds of thoughts germinate in our minds. If we allow thoughts of holiness to reign supreme in our minds, then holiness will mark our character. If, however, we allow sin to reign, then wickedness will be what we are known for.

Christians who live short of the victorious Christian life fall short not because of some external circumstance. They fall short because of their imperfect thought life. Rather than sowing holy thoughts by constantly tapping into the source of purity – God – they sow carnal thoughts by constantly tapping into worldly influences. Rather than fill their minds with the Bible, they fill their minds with worldly television and books. Rather than tap into Godly music that brings the soul to the gates of Heaven, they absorb fleshly music that fuels earthly lusts. Rather than come before God in prayer, they seek out some earthly diversion that speaks to their flesh and then claim, “I just don’t have enough time to pray.”

Our thought life is our life. For the Christian to experience victory in life, he or she must first experience victory in thought. Victory in thought doesn’t come automatically. It comes from the hard work of planting God in the mind by virtue of constant communication with Him. Unfortunately, most Christians favor communication with the world over communication with the Savior, and until they reverse that trend, their lives will continue to be upside down.