Weekday Devotionals

Head Games by Rick McCotter
 
I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the biggest ongoing battles I have is my Stinking
Thinking.  Some days it seems like I’m constantly bombarded with bad thoughts; they just come
out of nowhere.  I’ve learned how important it is to take control of my mind, my thought life.  
Joyce Meyer says: “Wherever the Mind (our thoughts) go; the person follows.”  We need to
remember that the body is just an instrument of the mind.  Over time, you will act out the
dominating thoughts in your mind.  I offer you 6 practical ways to take your thoughts captive;
Enjoy!  Go Forth and Be Victorious!
 
Verse:  Proverb 4:23
“Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
 
Let me translate this verse in common language:  Guard/Keep/Protect your Heart/Mind
(thinking/thoughts) constantly, because out of your thought life flow the issues, circumstances
and situations of your life.
 
Proverbs 23:7
“As a Man thinks in his heart, so is He”
 
2 Corinthians 10:5
tells us that we are to "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."
Taking your thoughts captive simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself
and life.  
What you put in your mind has an effect on what you think. Remember those scary movies you
watched as a kid, then had nightmares? It didn't take long to realize that the way to avoid the
nightmares was to stop watching that kind of movie. God has provided a way to overcome
unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, and gain the self-control you seek. It's a matter of taking
charge of your life - His way.  

Here are 6 ways to take your thoughts captive:
1.Accept responsibility for your thoughts. You have the ability to exercise control over
your thoughts. God warned Cain to focus his mind on the right things, but Cain chose to
think about the wrong things - anger and jealousy - which led to his murderous actions.
Are you willing to admit that you can, with God's help, regain control of your thoughts -
and think enabling thoughts instead of disabling ones?
 
2.Your mind - not just your behavior - must change. God calls us to change sinful behavior
that does not honor Him. Instead of focusing on your outward behavior, work on
disciplining your mind - from which the behaviors stem. Allow God to transform you by
the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2).
 
3.Think through your problems rather than just react to them. When you experience
difficult challenges, you can react to them and think yourself into despair every time. Or
you can look forward to the next opportunity and ask yourself what you learned from
this failure. Is your first thought I'll never do anything right? You don't have to get
trapped by disabling thoughts. You are capable of getting out of your shame, despair,
hopelessness, and anger - by taking control of your thoughts.
 
4.Take your disabling thoughts captive through confession. Paul urges us to "take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (Rom. 12:21). Confront your disabling
thoughts. Turn them over to God and become who He sees you can be. It will take work
to take your thoughts captive each time they pop into your mind. But it is possible with
the help of the Holy Spirit.
 
5.Choose to focus your thoughts on the right things. We are to think about those things
that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable" (Phil. 4:8). When we think about
those things, God promises to give us His peace. What a contrast that is to the thoughts
of millions of people today. Don't look to a movie, TV show, or how-to formula to
accomplish this for you. It takes personal discipline and commitment.
 
6.It is possible. It is not easy to retrain your thoughts or to respond in new Christ-like
ways. Take heart: as God empowers you to focus your mind on the right things, it will
become easier. You can develop a new frame of reference, based on what is true, noble,
right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

It is possible to live a life aware of our thoughts and taking them captive! God gave us the Holy
Spirit to empower us. Start following these steps today to gain power over your mind and
thoughts.