Right thinking leads to right actions

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Right thinking leads to right actions”

Malcom Forbes was a famous businessman and successful investor in this country all throughout the 1900s. He was one of the dominant figures in the high finance world of Wall Street.

Forbes was renowned for his uncanny ability to pick winning investments. Somehow, he just knew which companies were likely to do well and which would probably struggle and fail. He was often asked what his secret was. He never hesitated to share it and the answer never varied. He said, “I bet on the jockey, never on the horse. I don’t need to know what industry the company is in, or what its financials are. All I need to know is what kind of person the CEO is. I bet on the jockey, never on the horse.”

I remember my father using that same phrase when it came to placing bets on horse races. My dad loved to go to the racetrack and sometimes I would go with him. He only placed small bets but his philosophy for betting on horse races was the same as Malcom Forbes’ philosophy for investing in companies, he bet on the jockey never on the horse. My father knew who the jockeys were. He knew what their experience level was, what their records were, and how skilled they were. He knew that a winning jockey had a great work ethic and studied the craft of horse racing. A good jockey could ride an average horse and still win.

What both my father and Malcom Forbes were doing was focusing on the character of the individual rather than on the nature of the job. They knew that if the individual was a man or woman of solid character then they would have a good work ethic, they would be reliable and dependable, and you could count on them to always produce the very best they were capable of. Such a person is likely to be a winner even if other factors are less than favorable. Character is that important.

Professional sports teams know this too. When they are deciding whether to offer a particular player a high dollar contract, they don’t just look at the player’s skills and talents, they also look closely at character issues. If a player is a person of solid character and with a good attitude, you can work with them and develop their skills. If a player has a bad attitude and a weak character, he is going to be trouble for you regardless of how talented he is.

Character is the issue the Apostle Paul addresses in Philippians 4:8-9 as he continues his teaching about learning how to live with joy. The primary lesson we are to take from these two verses is that character is largely determined by how we think, and how we think determines how we act. Right thinking leads to right acting, which leads to a life lived well, which results in joy. We will explore this more fully tomorrow.

We have reached the end of the month now, but we have not reached the end of Paul’s letter of joy. So, we will need to borrow a few days from the new month to complete our study of this theme. Then we will move on to a new theme.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville)

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