from Amphibious Force Pacific Fleet – The Amphibian – 24 May, 1952
AS A MAN THINKETH. The author of Ecclesiastes asks: “Is there anything new under the sun?” Well, there ain’t so many things under the sun as is generally supposed; this is especially true in the realm of ideas.
The writer of Proverbs, who lived a long time ago, had a profound idea which is still true; when he said, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” How shall we interpret these words? Well, they mean that deep down in human personality at the heart, at the center or core of his life, the thoughts that a man habitually thinks are fashioning his character.
I know a man who is always saying, “I’m a failure; I know I’m a failure. I failed all along the line and I’m going to fail in this new opportunity that has presented itself to me.” You see, that fellow is conditioning himself for defeat, he is laying out lines of retreat; he is preparing himself for a new failure; he is undermining all his God-given self-confidence.
Dr. Bonnell, who has interviewed many people in New York, says “one of the most unforgettable experiences I have had in my entire ministry was to see a man completely transformed in the space of twelve months. The transformation was so amazing and so thourough that only one word will describe it: MIRACLE. It was a miracle of the grace of God. that man cast away failure, cast away defeat, cast away bitterness, cast away hate, and became a radiant, healthy-minded, loveable personality. the thought processes deep within him were arrested, reversed and completely altered through the expulsive power of the love of God. All of this resolves itself into the fact that we are the architects of our own souls. Deep down within us is a workshop in which we are fashioning character and personality. The tools we use are thoughts and emotions which either destroy us, or build us up. Certainly the wise man was right when he said — “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
