Right Thoughts
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"
As Christians, we can't accept every thought that comes into our heads. Instead, we need to measure each thought against the standard of Scripture, like the verse above tells us to do.
Here's a practical example: If someone hurts your feelings, or makes you angry you shouldn't remain upset with them. This only gives Satan the upper hand by giving him the opportunity to plant seeds of bitterness in your mind. The longer these seeds stay in your mind the better the odds are that they will become rooted in your heart.
Instead, you need to learn to see it for what it is and then go on and reject negative thinking. Refuse to let it drain you of your peace and joy.
You must turn to God and say, "Father, I need Your strength. By faith I choose to receive Your grace so that I may forgive those who mistreated or wronged me. I ask You to bless them and help me go on with my life. In Jesus' name, amen."
As our minds are renewed with God's Word, our thinking will change and line up with Scripture. Then, day by day, godly boundaries around our thoughts will be established and reinforced. These limits will not only keep out the deceptions of the enemy, but help you live a more enjoyable, godly life.
The God's Kind of Peace
John 16:33 KJV
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world".
Having an attitude of peace and calm is priceless. It's an attitude that says, 'I'm trusting God,' and it speaks powerfully to people. But it takes time, focus, and the grace of God to be consistently peaceful.
Too often our stress level is tied up in our circumstances. You could be stressed because you're always busy or you're struggling financially or because you're not getting along with someone you love.
To conquer the stress in our lives, we need to learn to practice the peace that's been provided for us by the overcoming power of Jesus.
One way to develop consistent peace is to learn to live 'in the now.' We can spend a lot of time thinking about the past, or wondering what the future holds, but we can't accomplish anything unless our mind is focused on today. Today is what matters. Today is what counts. Tomorrow might not even come- so why would I waste precious time concerning myself about things that may not even happen?
The Bible tells us that God gives us grace for each day that we live. I believe God's grace is the power that enables and energizes us to do what we need to do - and He gives it generously, as we need it. Moment by moment and day by day.
I do not believe that He super charges us to face life a week or month or year in advance. But give each of us just enough grace to get us from this point to the next point and to the next point. I believe that He does this so that we can fully rely on Him to pull us through and so that He can reveal to us His Mighty, Mighty strength and love for us.
Every day when we awake we need to say, 'God has given me today. I will rejoice in that alone.' No matter what happens, no matter how many things go wrong (or go right)- I am still going to thank God because I woke up this morning with the ability to enjoy this day- this life; moment by moment. I will not get bogged down in the details of today but will rely on God's grace to give me the peace to endure whatever may come.
If you can learn to trust God 'in the now,' receiving His grace as you need it, you can become a truly peaceful person - and that's powerful!
Dearest God,
I know that You have overcome any and every obstacle that the enemy can, will and often does, throw my way so I ask You to help me live in the peace that You've provided for me. Show me how to trust You as I live 'in the now.' I give thanks in advance because I know it will surely come. Amen and Amen!
Changing the Way You Think
Romans 12:2 KJV
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God".
I am sure that at some point in your life you have heard the saying "a mind is a terrible thing to waste'? Well; it turns out that it's true. Our minds have so much capacity for good, to learn, create, think and grow, and it's a tragedy when we don't use them to their highest and fullest potential.
There was a time in my life when I allowed too many damaging thoughts to enter my mind, negative, tormenting, guilty, unforgiving, shameful and accusing thoughts. Someone says something, someone does something and the next thing you know I have a running dialog of thoughts about that person that simply can not be repeated here. I simply assumed that since they were "my" thoughts that I was thinking then they must be mine. My head, my thoughts; right?
Not so. All the thoughts you are thinking aren't always things that you come up with yourself. If it's negative thinking either about yourself or someone else then odds are that they aren't your thoughts at all. Our minds are ripe, fertile soil for the devil to plant his thoughts in. He drops a few seeds of negativity in and all it takes is for us to water them a few times and off it goes.
I had no idea I had the power to control my thoughts and to choose which thoughts I focused on and believed in. I didn't realize that if I was thinking something that wasn't very nice or very true, I had the power to stop. No one ever told me I could actually win the batter with the devil over my mind.
Has anyone ever told you? If not, then I'm here today to tell you that you don't have to let your thoughts control you. You can choose to think and focus on God-thoughts!
Romans 12:2 says to "let God transform you, by changing the way you think." God wants to help you win the battle in your mind. But what does that look like on a practical level?
Here's what has worked countless times for me and what I know will work for you too: The next time you're wrestling in your mind, I want you to stop and find something specific that you can thank God for. Tell Him how grateful you are for His goodness and all the rich ways He's blessed your life. As you're diligent to do this, you will see your life begin to change and things will get better and better.
So often these days when I get a nagging ~not so nice~ thought stuck in my head I will simply start a running mantra of "These thoughts are not My thoughts because My thoughts are ....." (lovely, beautiful, gracious, kind, uplifting, edifying, love affirming etc. - fill in the blank with something positive) It honestly doesn't take long of doing this before the ~not so nice~ thoughts that you had are displaced by something that God would rather have you focused on.
It's my hope and prayer that this short little study will help you will know the power God has given you over your mind and that every day in your thoughts, you will walk in the fullness of God's love for you!
