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Thought & Deed
By Allen Curry
Many readers of the November 1976 Playboy interview with newly-elected President Jimmy Carter ran across an aspect of Christian reality they had previously either ignored or did not understand: the concept of thought being tied irrevocably to deed.
They had known all along that thoughts could condemn; after all, what are covetousness and greed but states of mind, or thoughts? These kinds of thoughts were condemned early and often in Judeo-Christian teachings. However, in the much-ballyhooed interview with America’s premier published representation of lust, the new president reminded us that lust, too, fell into the category of items where thought and deed were so entwined.
One of the foremost of such prohibited thoughts, however, is that of anger. It is one of the emotions felt by humans that can fester and grow, promoting the development of other undesirables in its wake. Like cancer, the tendrils of anger can delve into every part of the human mind until the person so affected is filled with pockets of poison that shade every aspect of life.
In Matthew 4:21-26, Jesus teaches on the effects of anger, and He clearly speaks to the relationship between thought and deed. In the New International Version, the scripture reads: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
These words are just before verses 27-30, in which we find the remarks on lust with which former President Carter stirred up such a hornet’s nest. They bring up an interesting point that ties together human thoughts and human deeds. Are all sins a two-edged sword?
One definition of “sin” in the American Heritage Dictionary is “estrangement from God.” That seems relatively simple. We are all “estranged” from God to a greater or lesser degree, otherwise we would all have been like Enoch whose life was so close to God that Genesis 5:24 says, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Now, there is a life lived free of “estrangement from God.”
If we are estranged from Him, in what ways have we separated ourselves? The answers can only be in our thoughts and deeds, as those are the only criteria upon which we are judged.
Violence is, arguably, the most serious crime against God that we can commit. It effects change in our very natures, and that is especially true when the violence committed is murder. We have often heard it said that when someone takes the life of another, the murderer is changed forever, and there is no going back to the innocent state prior to the fatal deed.
That is true, but one thing is missing in the description. What of the thought that led to the crime? What of the anger?
When we find anger in our thoughts, it is because we have allowed it to enter there, given it a place to lodge in our hearts and minds. Some will say, yes, but it’s impossible to avoid being angry sometimes. To them, I can only say that no one ever promised them that living a Christian life was going to be easy.
Is it possible to be free of anger, free of those flashes that flicker between our ears when someone cuts us off in traffic, or violates what we consider to be proper behavior in a thousand other ways great and small? The answer is a resounding “Yes,” because we have been promised that no task will be given to us that is beyond what we are capable of doing.
We have been given tools with which to work. Prayer, meditation, the Scriptures, attendance at worship services, whole libraries of books on Christian life and works; all are there for us to use in our spiritual development, but the prerequisite for all of these is that we take the time to use them rather than make excuses why that time is unavailable.
But why, you ask, is the mere sinful thought of such great importance? That’s simplicity itself. Thought is the precursor to nearly everything we do. Granted that we may choose to disregard those thoughts and avoid committing the act in question, we have already given that anger (or hatred, or lust, or whatever the physical manifestation of sin might be) a place in our hearts and minds where it can rankle and grow if allowed.
In today’s culture, “sin” is an unpopular word. It is looked upon as being somehow old-fashioned, belonging to another era. It conjures up images of maiden aunties looking down their noses in whole-hearted disapproval at the antics of young people. But if we look at sin as nothing more than the violation of theological or civil rule that may or may not seem terribly important in the great scheme of things, we dismiss the true damage of its workings.
Even if we totally disregard it’s prodding, we have allowed ourselves to be weakened by the mere presence of it. We have allowed it to act as a wedge that can force just a bit more daylight between ourselves and where we should be with God, and that separation is the greatest sin of all. i
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