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That is stinking thinking. 

I had a professor who used that phrase often. He didn't direct it at students but used it often when he'd talk about unhealthy ways of thinking. 

I am reading devotionally in the book of Judges right now. The entire book ends with a verse about how God's people did "what was right in their own eyes." Earlier in Judges a phrase about God's people "doing what was evil in the eyes of the Lord" is repeated often. Doing evil in the eyes of the Lord is another way of saying "doing what is right in their own eyes."

This causes me to think about stinking thinking. 

It occurred to me recently that sometimes I find myself saying (or thinking) "I just need to figure out what I think about this/that" when considering an important issue. While God has given us minds and we are even instructed to worship God with our thinking ("minds," see the great commandment: Matthew 22.37), and while it is good to use our minds and be a thoughtful person, my first pursuit should not be to determine what I think about an issue but discovering what God thinks about it. 

When people begin to put discovering what they think about something before or above of discovering what God thinks about something that is stinking thinking and it leads to them beginning to do what is right in their own eyes. 

I read an interesting story recently about a pastor who ended up in an engaging conversation with another man in the sauna at their local gym. The other man was telling the pastor about how he and his fiance were planning their wedding and preparing for marriage. He told the pastor that he wasn't too crazy about how the priest who would be performing their wedding had been counseling them to stop sleeping together and to move apart until their wedding even though they had been living together for several years. He went on to say it just didn't seem practical (moving, extra rent payments, etc.) and because they already had been sexually active, and had already been living together harmoniously for such a long time. Everything seemed right to them in their own eyes. As he went on expressing his concerns with the priest's counsel the pastor responded by saying, "You should be less worried about what the priest has to say and more concerned with what God has to say. You can disagree with a priest, but you're a fool if you disagree with God." 

Good point, eh? 

This Sunday we spend our last of six weeks in Luke 15. Jesus concludes Luke 14 by saying, "Whoever has ears, let them hear." Luke 15 begins by describing the kinds of people that had begun gathering around Jesus to hear what HE thinks about things. 

How do we find what Jesus thinks about things? 

  • The Bible! The Old Testament is the Bible Jesus read and it all points to Him and the New Testament is the second major section of scripture and is inspired by Him.
  • Godly Christian Friends & Leaders. Who do you have in your friendship circle that has a relationship with God that you admire and a grasp of the Bible that you feel is stronger than yours? They are a great person to ask for input and help! If you're part of a small group consider asking for their input or the input of the leaders. And of course we have several wonderful and godly leaders in our church family and on our Leadership Council and Pastoral Team that are also available to serve and support you.
  • Christian Resources of Solid Repuation. While simply 'googling' something can actually end up being quite unhelpful because of the myriad of voices that can write anything on the internet, learning to find great Christian books and resources is a good skill to grow. Look for writers and teachers who are very clear on their devotion to Jesus and the Bible (not just good causes or good opinion/ideas). 

So, what is something complex you're pondering right now? 
What is a topic swirling in culture that may try to pressure you to change your view on something?
What is an important issue you need to get figured out in your life right now? 

Let's avoid stinking thinking and discover what Jesus thinks about these things first! 

Pastor Mike