Thinking - A very difficult task

It has been said, what we choose to think about, and dwell on in this life will make or break us as to what type of person we will end up becoming.

Thinking is tough to do, this is why so few of us choose to do it. Sure, we 'have thoughts', but this does necessarily constitute as thinking. Having a thought. like I am hungry or I am bored, may seem like thinking, but it lacks the depth of what thinking really means. Thinking means to consider the why in all things. It is the consideration that goes into why we are hungry or bored, and goes further to identify what ought to be done next. I eat because I work, and have used up nutrients is thinking versus I eat because I am bored - and unaware of it.

So thinking takes comparing, and asking the deeper questions. This is why many people watch, learn or repeat what others have stated or done, thus following the narrative of group thinkers, rarely having an idea of their own.

Indeed, thinking is difficult, and the longer one persists in avoiding it, the more challenging thinking becomes.

In the Bible, the word Selah, which means stop and think about it, appears 74 times. There are another 83 verses that encourage us to think, not to mention the hundreds of references made illustrating thought. Clearly, thinking is important.

But if this is true, why do so few choose to pursue thinking? Maybe it is because so few even think about it. Learned behaviors for example, which say 'because my father did this, I do this' or perhaps it is one's opinion on any given matter, of which that person knows actually very little, is actually an opinion formed by a parent or teacher.

Thinkers know why they do what they do. When asked, they're able to talk at length about the why. Their actions rarely offend, disappoint or hurt others. Equally, their lives tend to be orderly, balanced and wholesome. To them, the world is their workplace, and ideas are the fuel that keeps it moving round and round. Information [Data] to the thinker continues to renew their mind constantly, providing a ever brightening outlook on life.

The next time someone asks 'what do you think" consider a moment before responding. Look into the question deeply and see whether your response is original - detailing your ability to see the subject matter clearly, or if your response is merely the thought of another.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).