As a Man Thinketh, So Is He?

The Misuse of Proverbs 23:7 in Positive Thinking Teaching

Proverbs 23 .7 says that which a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. That's a verse that's often used to preach on the power of positive thinking. Such a sermon tends to go like this. God wants to bless you, but you have to believe he wants the best for you in order to unlock.

Such blessings. You've got to learn how to think right before you can live right. God has got a good plan for your life, but if you don't believe it, God's not going to be able to do it. Proverbs 23 .7 says that a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

These word of faith preachers like to use the King James, but for the sake of not having to translate Old English into New English, we're going to look at it in the English Standard Version. I mean, seriously, who on earth says thinketh?

Proverbs 23:6-7 in Context

Proverbs 23 .6 and 7 reads, Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy. Do not desire his delicacies, for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. This is the part right here that in the King James reads, That which a man thinketh, so is he.

Eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you. So what do you think? Does it sound like that verse is in any way saying that if you think positively, you'll receive the blessings of God?

Not even close. It's saying that a rich host might use their luxuries to ensnare the less wealthy. Huh. So knowing the context of that verse would actually keep a person from being suckered by the teaching of rich preachers who tell you that if you thinketh right, you can be as blessed as they are.

The Warning Against Deceptive Food and False Teaching

As Proverbs 23 also says, Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. Instead, we need to fill ourselves with the daily bread of God's Word. We can be properly equipped against false teaching when we understand the text.