True Woman - Sound Thinking

Sound Thinking

Sometimes pressures come at you so fast it seems like you can’t think straight. Learn to develop a biblical, sound mind so that you can think clearly no matter what is happening around you.*

• If you have sound doctrine, that will result in sound thinking about all of life—thinking that is wise, discreet, sensible, and self-controlled. Sound thinking will result in sound living.
• You can’t love your husband and your children if you don’t have sound thinking. Because when they are not loveable, if you don’t have sound thinking, you’re going to respond in unloving ways.
• A godly woman's heart and mind are always under the guard and protection of the Spirit of God, the truth of God, and the truth of God’s Word.

Listen to or read more from “Sound Thinking”

so goes the teaser sent to my inbox. :)

And from Titus 2:1-5 we read:

1But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Nancy had a lot of good to say today. Really appreciated her devotional. So you'll need to go read it.

here is part of what Nancy has to say:

We’ve said that these qualities are very personal. They’re centered around our relationships, and they really focus a lot on our relationships within the family. So let me pick up in Titus chapter 2, beginning in verse 2, just to give us some context here.

I want you to see how this concept of self-control, the word is sophron—we were looking at it in our last session—sober-minded, of a sound mind. You see how this phrase occurs three times in these verses we’ve been looking at.

Titus 2, verse 2: First of all, “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled.” There’s our word—sophron—self-controlled. It’s of a sound mind. They’re to be “sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.”

Verse 3: “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women…”

Now, you don’t see the word “self-control” there, but that word “train” is in the same family in the original Greek language as the word sophron. It actually means to train them to have sound minds, to train them to think soundly, to train them to be sober-minded.

You don’t see all of that in the English translation, but that’s what’s behind it in the original. “Train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled” (verse 4). There’s our word again, sophron—sober-minded, of a sound mind. In the New American Standard Bible, you have the word sensible there. Sensible, discreet in the King James, sound-minded, of sound thinking.

What does it mean to be a person who has sound thinking, to be a person who is sober minded?

Does it mean a person who never laughes at things, or enjoys life?
No.

It means a person who is minded by more. A person who is self-controlled and aware of what they are doing. Not driven by the moment, or ones' own desires, but by something more. In the life of the Christian that would be having GOD be our driving force.

So what does a sober-minded, a self-controlled person act like?

• one who can respond in faith rather than fear when facing challenges
• one who guards her heart - discernment be exercised
  
• one who guards her mind - discernment be exercised
  
• one who is mentally disciplined
• one who is able to resist temptation
• one who is able to delay gratification
• one who has the attitude of work first and play later (not that playing is bad either). :) sometimes one needs to play first as part of enjoying one's family/children.
• one who is modest in their dress and actions
• one who lives a thoughtful and intentional life --- not someone just going along with the flow
• one who knows where all things come from and lives a life of thankfulness
• one who bases life decisions on what is wise and what is biblical
• one who prays
• one who is very much aware of the need for God in all areas of life

Is this possible all the time?
No...we are after all sin-filled people, who should be striving to be like God but so often failing miserably.
BUT it is something that we can strive for.
It does give us something to base our actions on ... and to help us evaluate the actions we have taken over the course of a day...and therefore become more of the people that GOD wants us to be.

A high standard we are called to.
A high standard we are to teach.

Let us be women of sound thinking, focused on the one who created us, able to see beyond ourselves to the greater picture.