God’s Word And Our Thoughts

For my entire life I played the role of a victim without even knowing it.

Victim to my thoughts. I remember when I first started hearing teachings – only a few years ago – about changing your thoughts. I immediately dismissed anything I heard and said, “It’s just the way I am.

I’m melancholy. I’m critical. I’m negative. It’s just my personality.” (It pains me to type that out for the world to see, but it’s the truth. I really and truly believed change was 100% impossible.)

Now I can only say PRAISE GOD that I was deceived. I share this painful admission to show you that it is possible to change and learn to “train” your thoughts. Do I get it perfectly now? No. But when I look at how far I have come I pray that gives you hope.

God’s Word is not silent about our thoughts. Check out Colossians 3:2, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 23:7, Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Here’s what I learn from these verses:

• Our thoughts are important.
• We are told in Scripture what to think about.
• This means we can choose our thoughts.
• We are not victim to our thoughts. We can be transformed as we renew our minds.
• “by the renewing…” tells me we have a part in this. It means we can do something about it.
• There is a reason we are told to set our minds on things above to to think about whatever things are true, noble, lovely and right.
• We are instructed to take every thought captive, which tells me we can learn to do this. I don’t think this ever means that we can become perfect (here on earth) at anything we are instructed to do in God’s Word. I do think it means that we can set it as a goal and make progress and CHANGE.

That “renewing work” can be harder for some of us than others. Personality and life experience and upbringing play into this. But because as Christ followers we have the Holy Spirit within us – our advocate, our helper, this means we are capable and it is possible to “tear down strongholds” and “take every thought captive…”

This post isn’t necessarily touching on the practical. But I could write a book on all the ways I’m learning to retrain my mind. The wins and losses. Because practice also means we fail. My stories on Instagram every morning talking about God’s Word are part of that renewing work.

God’s Word is alive, friends.