New Thoughts

Our church is going through the Youversion.2011 series by John Ortberg. This last Sunday Pastor John preached on Renewing Your Mind. He got me thinking. What did I think? Well, it has me thinking about my thoughts and the process of changing them into productive and not destructive thoughts.

Today I thought: "When new thoughts become everyday thoughts, but were never true thoughts, it is time to renew these thoughts to make them conform to the thoughts of Christ which are always true." The starting point is in knowing the true thoughts of Christ. Knowing His word helps me to know the truth and the lies that float through my head. I must stop, think, and capture every thought. Once captured, it must be diagnosed as either true or false. It is at that point that choice enters the picture. I can choose to take the thought and make it fit Christs' truth, or let it loose to take root and grow a tangled vine that leads me to wrong conclusions and to make bad decisions. It may take only seconds, but the consequences may last a lifetime.

It is my heartfelt desire to learn to take captive every thought for Christ. I have succeeded in some areas of my life , but in others I still struggle. We all have some thoughts that are easy to change and others that seem to be more difficult. The spiritual battle is in the mind. The battle rages and the enemy rears his ugly head in the places where we are weakest. God is our only hope to transform our thoughts. Without Him we can fight a good fight but the battle cannot be won without His intervention.

Last Sundays' sermon had me in tears. I cried because I know my struggles. I cried with joy, too, knowing that Jesus is doing a good work in me. I cried because of a statement John made: Every thought has the power to carry me into God's presence. What a beautiful thought!

God, You have a beautiful mind! Your thoughts are great and filled with all goodness and beauty! I am weak, and my thoughts wander far from You. Forgive me, Lord. Help me to use the mind You gave me to think careful thoughts that bring me closer to You. Help me not to be mindless in my thinking. Thank You for the new thoughts You give me every day. Thank You for making Yourself be known through those precious thoughts. I want to think on those things!