Proverbs 23:7
Many people love to quote or misquote the following passage: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”. Truth is, most people know what the verse says, but have NO IDEA what it’s saying. That precept is not a compliment, it’s condemnation. It’s not encouragement, it’s enlightenment that warns of the hearts of evildoers. In order to understand verse 7, you must include at least verses 6 and 8. See the passages below with commentary I’ve provided for clarity.
[6] Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye (for “Evil intent never means well.” -Dr. Benjamin S. Akins), neither desire thou his dainty meats (or be careful what you crave and from whom you crave it):
[7] For as he thinketh (obsessively or by the process of repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images) in his heart, so is he: * Has your head and/or heart ever been filled with one single thought, or a string of thoughts, that just keep repeating… and repeating… and repeating themselves? The process of repetitive thinking about the same thoughts, which tend to be sad or dark, is called rumination. It is also referred to as, Dominant Thought Pattern (DTP). Things grow where your dominant thoughts go – good or bad. Your innermost dominant thoughts become your outermost reality. Repetitive thoughts of the heart shape us. This principle places more emphasis on the ability to monitor one’s feelings, emotions, desires, and intent as they arise. Heart issues influence human behavior more than head issues, which are a true testament of the inner well-being of a man. Therefore, to maintain good emotional health and to have a positive outlook on life should be the goal, but everyone cannot be trusted. Solomon goes on to say, Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. (The principle here is, things done with you or for you is not always a genuine reflection of how someone truly feels about you; the heart is desperately wicked by nature and will deceive you often if you are not careful. A person that seemingly treats you good can also mean you no good)
[8] The morsel (or mouthful) which thou hast eaten (prepared by the hands of an evildoer) shalt thou vomit up, (like food poisoning) and lose thy sweet words. * By way of explanation, it’s nearly impossible to speak sweet words or good things about a person that secretly and intentionally does you harm. The truth hurts, but it also helps just as vomiting is the body’s way of ridding itself of harmful substances from the stomach or a reaction to something that has irritated the gut. The principle is to be vigilant! Motive is NOT visible in what a person seemingly does, what must be reconciled is how a person truly feels; it’s about the intent behind the deed. “Sometimes you miss what should be seen because of what you’re looking at.” –Dr. Benjamin S. Akins, but THE MOST HIGH POWER judges the heart, because that is where the truth lies.