Thoughts can drive your feelings so fast that you don’t even know what hit you. Before you know it, you’re in a slump, feeling down in the dumps, angry or even hopeless.
Those feelings don’t come out of nowhere, they start in your mind.
2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds us to take every thought captive.
Philippians 4:8 give specific instructions on what to think on.
Romans 12:2 commands us to not conform to the ways of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
These scriptures give us a strong indication that we are responsible for controlling our thoughts. God doesn’t give us commands without good reason. He knows that an uncontrolled mind results in an out of control life.
But the goal is not only to change your mind, but to change your mindset.
The mindset is where your default reactions take place. The mindset is what has been so deeply ingrained in you that it seems automatic. But it can be changed. And when you change your mindset, you can successfully change your life.
You do that by taking control of your thoughts.
But when you are bombarded by an average of 50,000 thoughts per day, how do you possibly control ALL of them?
Here are two ways to control your thoughts biblically:
Active Control
The first way to take control of your thoughts requires action on your part. After all, 2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds us We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
This means we are to be active participants.
So what does it mean to “take captive?” It means we take hold of the thought, much like we would a prisoner. When a prisoner is captured, he is not given a slap on the wrist and told to leave. But isn’t that what we do with our negative thoughts? We try to put them out of our mind and get on with our life. That’s as ineffective as setting a criminal free without having to account for his actions.
Instead of telling yourself to stop thinking certain thoughts, take them through an interrogation process. Ask questions like: Where did you come from? What are you doing here? Only when you get the answers to these questions, can you determine what to do with the thoughts.
Then actively cross-reference your thoughts to the Word of God. The Word of God is the benchmark. If you think negative, self-defeating thoughts, but God says that you are the apple of his eye, you will have to actively choose to believe God’s Word over your own.
If your thoughts are always consumed with worry but God says He will supply all your needs, you will have to actively determine in your mind to trust Him.
Some thoughts simply need to be cast down. Others are a result of previous trauma that hasn’t been dealt with properly. Still others are from a deeply ingrained mindset that needs to be changed, and you can go about changing it by using the passive method.
Passive Control
If you want your mindset to be renewed, you will need to change what goes into your mind daily. In order to wash out the old stinkin’ thinkin’, you must pour in the new until it overflows into your life and eventually creates a new mindset from which you can draw.
How do you do this is to pour in God’s Word until it seeps out of you and cascades over every area of struggle you’re battling. Fill your mind with the Word of God by reading scripture. Scripture can be read like a book, from cover to cover, or it can be read topically. If there is an area of struggle in your life, discover all the scriptures that speak to your struggle and saturate your mind with what God has to say about it.
You can also fill your mind with the Word of God by listening. The Bible App often will have a way to listen to Scripture. You can also immerse yourself in teachings from podcasts to YouTube channels. You can find many passionate men and women of God who are rightly dividing his truth. My Building Faith Podcast and YouTube channel offer weekly encouragement to live the Christian life. Whatever you do, just take it all in. Let it permeate every part of you until you think the way God thinks.
The Holy Spirit is eager to use you for God’s Kingdom. When your mind is filled with His truth, you are a vessel ready to be put to good use.
My hope is that you will not allow out of control thoughts to run your life. There’s too much joy and promise waiting for you.
When your mind is at peace, your whole world is at peace.
Do you wonder how toxic your thoughts are? Take this quiz to find out if your thinking is holding you back from living a new life in Christ.
If you are ready to control your mind and transform your life – Then join us for ReThink, an online course that helps you gain control of your emotions before they control you. You can check it out here.
