...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
I've never thought of myself as a dreamer although from time to time I think about what I would do if I were to win the lottery. (Not likely to happen since I don't buy tickets, but it's fun to think about it every once in a while.) I have noticed, however, that my thoughts often wander when I'm not purposefully focused. When I'm cleaning, doing dishes, walking to/from the bus, driving, in the grocery store - what am I doing with my thoughts? Could they be described as being "obedient to Christ"? Too often, sadly, the answer to that question is - no. Makes me think of something I used to hear people saying when I was a child...."wool gathering" is how they'd describe what's going on inside my head at those times.
Thinking about 2 Corinthians 10:5 has impressed on me the need to make the most of my thoughts. The result is that I am being intentional about directing my thoughts rather than allowing them to wander. What does that look like? If I encounter people who seem to be out of sorts, unhappy or in a bad mood, I pray for them to be blessed, to be able to deal with the difficult situation they are in, to have their eyes open to God at work in their lives. When I see people being helpful, positive, encouraging or Christlike, I ask God to bless them for that. When someone comes to mind, I try to turn that thought into prayer on their behalf. I think about Scripture verses that have impacted me, sermons that challenge me, things that I believe God is speaking to me about dealing with. I am choosing to look for the positives and to focus on them.
I am finding that this approach makes a big difference in how I feel about life in general and my life specifically. I want to be the same person inside as I am outside; to live for Christ in ways that others can see but also in the part of my life that only God and I know about - my heart and my mind. Taking my thoughts captive is one of the ways I can make that happen. I am challenged by Paul's encouragement in Philippians 4:8...
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
I have a long way to go before I could honestly say that this is a habit that comes naturally, without thought and which is what I do more often than not; the truth is that it is a work in progress. However, I am excited about the opportunity I have to invite the power of God into the world around me. I have even been daydreaming about how my thoughts can bring positive changes into the lives of those around me; how my heart and mind can be revolutionized as I live this out; how God can communicate with me as I am intentional about communicating with Him more often and as a matter of course throughout my day.
I look forward to being able to share the outworking of this endeavour with you.
This very passage has provoked much change in my life - thoughts, books I read, what we talk about, movies we watch, etc. Like you I found I had to be deliberate to occupy my mind with things that would be obedient to Christ. Prayer was a big one, and the other one I added was Scripture memory. For a while I had verses hanging all around our kitchen and dining room, taped to the steering wheel, bathroom mirror and my closet door. I've done it for a while but I still fall off the wagon all the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm rejoining the ride with you!