At the beginning of my career, my boss gave me a book called Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden, an advertising pro.

Filled with radical insights, paradoxes, and unconventional advice, the book is designed to help you think differently (something my boss encouraged me to do).

The book offers up various ways to think the opposite, like: Getting fired from your job could be a good thing—it gives you a chance to start again. Ignorance is better than knowing all the answers—where’s the fun in that? Flunking a test doesn’t mean you’re stupid—it could just mean you learn differently than everyone else, and that’s your superpower.

It’s based on the very real insight that humans are wired a certain way, with built-in tendencies, automatic thoughts, and natural inclinations. And sometimes, we get stuck in those ways, making it hard to change our thinking or doing. Because of this, it’s easier for humans to go along with society’s philosophies and expectations than to go against them.

After I read this book, I wondered if Arden’s new way of thinking would actually catch on. Would it become a daily practice? Or just another book on the shelf next to millions of other schools of thought?

I couldn’t help but compare it to when Jesus brought His new way of thinking into the world.

Because when you really think about it, our God is a God of opposites. When the world was going one way, Jesus went the other:

The world said: Hate your enemies.
Jesus said: Love them.


The world said: Think of yourself first. You, you, you.
Jesus said: Put God first. Love your neighbor as yourself.


The world said: Take things into your own hands. 
Jesus said: I will hold your right hand and help you. Come to me, I’ll give you rest.


The world said: Material things, money, and status = success.
Jesus said: Loving each other, living righteously, and serving God = success.


The world said: Masters shouldn’t associate with servants.
Jesus said: Servants are people too, and I will love them like I love everyone else. The head will become the tail. 


The world said: Don’t be weak. And don’t show it.
Jesus said: When you are weak, then you are strong. My strength is made perfect in weakness.


The world said: Throw the first (or second) punch. Fight back.
Jesus said: Turn the other cheek. 

In other words, Jesus flipped the script.

He took everything everyone knew and turned it on its head. And to anyone who asked, “How?” or “Huh?” or “Why?” He answered, “Love.”

It’s no wonder some people thought He was crazy. He stepped on the scene and proposed something entirely against our nature. Something nonsensical. Unheard of.

And that’s why it was beautiful. That’s why it stuck. Because it wasn’t just a message for the people of that time. It was a message for us now.

Because our world today puts conditions on love, on “likes.” Make one mistake and the Internet “cancels” you, you’re the topic of gossip, and not always given a second chance. But with Jesus, you’re always welcomed back into His fold. With Jesus, you’re forgiven. Talk about a contrast.

You can even spot our great God of Opposites in “The Latter Day Theme,” No. 86 in our Songs of Zion:

They say that old bones will flourish …

Ummmm, old bones can’t flourish. They’re old!

They say the wolf shall soon lie down with the lamb and the lion …

Whoa, whoa, whoa. A wolf? And a lamb? And a LION?! Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

But there He goes again, our God of Opposites changing our minds about what’s possible. Changing the way we see the world. Infusing hope into our tired, sluggish souls and reminding us that if He can do the impossible in the world, He can do the impossible in our hearts.

So on those days when you find yourself bogged down by your human brain, let God give you a higher spiritual mind. If your automatic impulses are taking control, let God break the habit. If you feel yourself sleepwalking through life, maybe with the wrong crowd, let God show you the way out.

God, like my boss, is encouraging us to think differently today. To take risks for Him. To be okay with going against what society expects. So whenever the world or your human instincts tell you to think their way, stop and ask yourself what would Jesus think? Because Jesus would think the opposite.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.