Joel M Bradshaw

5The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.–Proverbs 12

One of the running subplots of the book of Proverb is who you identify with. You are either acting like the wise person or the fool. You are either listening to Lady Wisdom or Madam Folly. Here, you are either the righteous or the wicked.

Today’s proverb addresses the thought life. Here’s a simple principle about life that I usually work through with my friends who also face depression. You can change how you think, but it involves you changing the stories you tell yourself. Thoughts can be directed at the self-talk level. When you change the way you think, you change the way you feel. Then you change your attitudes, words, actions, etc. It all flows from the thoughts.

So the righteous person has thoughts that are just. They want what’s best for the other person. They would exemplify the biblical command to love thy neighbor. They would also trust God regarding justice.

The wicked wants to get things from others or sees people as means to an end. Those thoughts are full of deceit and leading others selfishly astray.

Be like the righteous and not like the wicked. Address your thoughts. Begin to change them by self-talk. The story you maintain should be selfless care for others rather than selfishness.–JMB