Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in your Christian walk? Do you look around and see other believers growing spiritually, experiencing peace and joy, being used in various areas of ministry … and wonder why it’s not you? Are you tempted to believe it’s because of your difficult marriage, because your spouse is not a believer, because you’re still single, because of your parents, or because of another person or circumstance? None of us is immune to those feelings. But could there be another reason, and could making some adjustments in your thinking actually cause you to start growing exponentially?
What do you think about when no one else is listening?
Those quiet conversations you have with yourself.
The old hurt you replay.
The argument you keep rehearsing.
What your spouse should have said.
What your mother-in-law should not have said.
What someone else has that you wish you had.
The fearful possibility you keep turning over in your mind.
We may tell ourselves, “I can’t help what I think.”
But is that true?
And could those private thoughts be affecting far more than we realize?
Our moods.
Our marriages.
Our relationships.
Our anger.
Our anxiety.
Our ability to forgive.
Even our walk with God.
Proverbs says that what is going on in our hearts eventually works its way into our lives.
And Scripture does not treat our thought lives as harmless or uncontrollable.
God tells us to guard our hearts.
To take thoughts captive.
To put off old patterns of thinking.
And to deliberately put something else in their place.
So maybe the question isn’t simply:
“What am I thinking?”
But:
“What are those thoughts producing in me?”
Are they feeding fear?
Bitterness?
Discontent?
Self-pity?
Anger?
Or are we learning to think in ways that produce prayer, gratitude, forgiveness, kindness, and greater Christlikeness?
Today we’ll look at how habitual thoughts can begin running our lives, whether we really can change the way we think, and what Scripture says about replacing wrong thoughts with godly ones.
Do you ever battle with worry, anger, and anxiety in your thoughts? How can you conquer them so your mind is filled with contentment and peace?
Also, find links to last week’s other posts. They covered everything from responding to private temptations and the unpardonable sin to how to trust God when evil seems to be triumphing everywhere.
Today I’d like to share the first in a series of 5-minute devotionals. These will be just brief thoughts on a verse, subject or concept, something to think about or chew on. If you have a question that might make a good 5-minute devo, feel free to ask it in the comments section and I’ll feature some of them in future posts.
So, to kick off this series, today’s devo is Why We Can’t Think Straight.
