The Bible is consistent in saying you become what you think about, what you meditate upon.  Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) reminds us, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  When asked what was most important, Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29–30 ESV).  If your heart, soul, mind and strength are in the right place, everything else falls into place.  This is confirmed by another statement of Jesus when he said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34 ESV).

When our thoughts are not centered on the things of God, the results will be bad.  Again, Jesus said, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:15 ESV).

We would all do well to follow the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  The Bible says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 ESV).  Think, meditate, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, ponder – these terms all focus on the same goal – the goal of living a life centered upon God and His ways.  The writer ( Helen Howarth Lemmel) of the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” expresses this thought so well in the chorus with these words:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.”

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8–9 ESV).