Thoughts lead to Actions

Why do you sin?  Is it the evil within you?  Or is it your desires not fully controlled?  Or is it a desire for things you do not have but want?  We surely can make a mess of things when we let our thoughts lead us to actions which are not based on “good.”  Let’s take a desire for money as an example.  We may have this burning desire to accumulate wealth.  We think of all the things that others have that we don’t have.  We begin to dwell on this disparity every day and begin to wonder how good it would be if we had just a few of these things.  We fall asleep by picturing ourselves in a brand new car or sitting by a swimming pool with a cocktail.  Then we begin to get glimpses of others with these things on TV or in real life and we place ourselves in these scenes.  We begin to act out a life with money in our minds.  We begin to affirm that such pursuits are good and pleasing.  We come to the point where we have convinced ourselves that we must have them, we must bring fantasy into reality.  We then begin to develop schemes whereby these plans can be put into action.  I could steal the money, rob a bank, shake down a friend, borrow without the intention of paying it back or any scam.  We finally come to the point where our desire for the things money can buy overpowers us and we take action.  We do the things we planned thinking that they are permissible.  Then we find ourselves in trouble with God and the Law and we eventually come to the realization that these things did not bring the happiness that our feeble minds imagined from the beginning. We fall into sin.   Our lives are made up of a combination of these thoughts at different stages for any of a number of desires:  money, sex, food, alcohol, love, authority, pornography.  Control your thoughts and you will control your actions.