What is stinking thinking?
It's a thought process that puts me and mine above everyone else. It's a my way or the highway mentality. It's a case of doing anything and everything to get what you want regardless of what you have to do to get it. In other words, it's an attitude that stinks. To put it mildly stinking thinking just doesn't work in the long run. Somewhere and somehow it will eventually catch up to you.
I pastored a gentlemen (and I'm putting that in Christian terms) that had the worst attitude I've ever, ever seen. It was his way or else. He always wanted attention and knew how to get it. He could turn on tears like a water fall or be as critical as a sharp knife. No matter what I did I could not please him as a pastor. Later, I find out he was this way with other ministers before me. His critical spirit was of the contaminating variety. It affected anybody that was around him in just a short period of time.
Most people tried to ignore him, but a person with a bad attitude is hard to ignore after awhile. I tried my best to make peace with him in every way possible. I did everything within my power to keep others from going after him when he was critical of what we did in service, either in worship or song. He always told everyone he loved my preaching, but he hated praise and worship and made it known to everyone.
Finally after trying for more times than I know how to make things right with him it came to a head. In my last confrontation with him he told me that I was going to have to change the worship or he was going to leave. Alas, we soon parted company.
I failed to mention something very important. His companion was one of the sweetest ladies you would ever pastor. Every pastor should have a member like her once in awhile in their ministry. How she stayed sweet living with that man's bad attitude could only be through the mercies of God. He was not very good to her, and when a deadly sickness begin to slowly but surely take her life, it became more and more evident.
During her last few weeks with us before her home going, I had left the hospital and come back to town to go to the Post Office. While traveling down the road I happened to see this man I'm writing about with a lady in another vehicle besides his own. A few days later, while his wife was in the hospital, I was out visiting again and happened to see that same vehicle parked in his yard. I found out that he eventually married this lady a few years after leaving my church and his wife's death. I do not want to judge, but apparently something was going on even while his wife was dying in the hospital.
I always tried to be nice to him, but I have to admit even after he left the church, I had to keep my cool when I would see him because of smart remarks he would say to me or about me in front of others. I confess sometimes I wanted to deck him, but then I would have been just like him and I refused to do that.
His stinking thinking though finally caught up with him. From what I understand he died a horrible death after suffering for a very long period of time. The only legacy he left behind with most people was about how ugly or bad his attitude was to others. Mention his name to people today that knew him and the first thing they do is roll their eyes and remark, "He had the worst attitude of anybody I knew."
Jesus said to us in Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
Stinking thinking means there is garbage in your attitude. You cannot change the way you think or act unless you change the treasure chest in your heart. Again Jesus said in Matthew 7:12, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Christ can help you break the hold of stinking thinking if you will just ask and let Him do so.
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