Evidently Elijah did not have...
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Evidently Elijah did not have to say a word. His action, in tossing his coat over Elisha, conveyed the whole message. Today we pay similar attention to what is called body language -- actions that represent some unspoken thought. Any such thought can cause an inadvertent physical reaction, says psychologist Robert Silverman. He holds, for example, it is almost impossible to think of the word bubble with your mouth open, without indicating your thought. Whether you want to or not, you instinctively begin to form the word with your lips. Or, if you close your eyes and think of raising your arm, there is a detectable tightening of the muscles, he claims. And, while the scientist did not include this test, most of us have had the experience of thinking about some delectable food and starting the digestive juices flowing. "Just thinking about it makes my mouth water," we say. While these may be scientifically discoverable results, there are many other ways in which thoughts affect our lives. A person who is always thinking about hurting those he dislikes may actually become evil, even if he does not overtly act in an antisocial way. The old proverb has it right, according to modern science: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." And Paul told us we can improve lives by thinking about whatever is good, true, and beautiful.
