Those Hard-to-Reach Stains Nobody Else Sees

Ray A. Seilhamer
Bishop, 1993-2001

October 1995

One of my favorite stories is "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." This man is a passive, non-aggressive, henpecked husband. His wife dominates him and makes him feel inferior, worthless, and weak. But he’s got a great imagination.

Retreating into his mind, he envisions himself to be a military hero, a football star, a political leader. In his fantasies, he is strong, decisive, respected.
The mind is a private realm, hidden from others. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?" (1 Corinthians 2:11).

The mind is capable of great good—reasoning, observing, interpreting, imagining, creating, remembering. But it is also capable of great evil.

Many people who won’t commit sinful actions are boldly sinful in their thought lives. A man who avoids committing adultery for fear of getting caught might convince himself that it’s okay to indulge in sexual fantasies, because nobody will ever discover it.

Fantasy, as Walter Mitty discovered, is a way to manifest power, influence, or success. If you are an introvert, you can fantasize yourself as an irresistible extrovert. If you feel inferior, you can fantasize superiority. If you are uncoordinated or clumsy, you can imagine yourself as a graceful athlete.

Sins of the mind don’t need to wait for an opportunity. The mind can engage in sin anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances. People keep returning to the same wicked musings to glean further illicit pleasure. And the habit of engaging in such thoughts takes root quickly and easily. These are destructive sins, because they assault and defile the conscience—which, in the arena of the mind, is the only deterrent.

I have worked with many couples whose marriages have been threatened by adultery. No one ever "falls" into adultery. Sin incubates in the mind. The adulterer’s heart is always shaped and prepared by lustful thoughts before the actual sexual behavior. Similarly, murder is often the product of anger and hatred.

Jesus taught his disciples, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (Matthew 15:18).

Jesus was constantly upset with the Pharisees for acting one way and thinking another way. "On the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23: 28). They seemed to think that evil thoughts weren’t sinful if they didn’t become actions. But Jesus emphasized that not only is murder sin—so is anger. Not only is adultery sin—so is lustful thinking.

God cares deeply about our thinking patterns. We need to keep our minds pure.
How can we deal with evil thoughts?

1. Confess and forsake the sin.

If your thought life harbors immorality, anger, bitterness, covetousness—confess it to God. When we confess our sins, 1 John 1:9 promises, God forgives and cleanses them.

2. Refuse to entertain those thoughts.

Abandon those thought patterns and build new habits. Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputable, excellent, and praiseworthy. We can reprogram our minds.

3. Feed on God’s Word.

The Word insulates the mind and fortifies the soul. It’s a necessary weapon against sins of the mind.

4. Avoid evil attractions.

Don’t expose yourself to activities, images, media, or conversations that provoke evil thoughts. Major changes may be needed. This is what Jesus meant figuratively in Matthew 5 when He said, "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut if off and throw it away."

5. Cultivate the love of God.

Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." If you do this, earthly things will lose their hold on you. Matthew 6:21 adds, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Let’s strive for what David prayed in Psalm 19, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord."