You Are What You Think

Author: Sarah Shanahan

2 Corinthians 10:5—We 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.

“I just don’t understand why you give so much to your job but not to our family!”

It was a low blow to my husband and came when he was fighting his own battles, but I was also in a dark thought space, so I thought it, spoke it and hurt him.

It was a lie, but one that had captured my thoughts and ran rampant in my heart and mind until resentment set in.

What we focus our thoughts on indeed impacts our actions. And if we fail to hold our thoughts captive, we can do more damage to ourselves and others. Truthfully, I wanted to blame it on the season of life we were in or Satan. But the fact was, I failed to hold my thoughts captive, and in doing so, I hurt my best friend.

Believe it or not, we often get in our own way when seeking God.

Our thoughts run wild with wants, desires, needs, to-dos, work drama, family issues, and even resentment. If left unchecked, they will overpower us; in turn, it is all we can hear.

Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

In short, you reap what you sow.

How can we hold our thoughts captive? It is a question I find myself asking often too. Learning to take our thoughts captive takes time. After all, you are trying to rewire your brain to a different way of thinking! Paul was a great teacher on how to cling to the Father and shake everything else off 2 Corinthians 10.

Here are a few quick tips to help you get your thoughts back in check.

Be intentional: Wake up and say good morning to the Lord. Spend time thanking Him for a new day and asking Him to guide your thoughts and actions for the day ahead.

Confess: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Give it all to the Father. Let Him know you are struggling, and tell Him why. You can even go further; if you are struggling with someone close to you, sit down with him or her and open up! Confessing breaks down any building resentment and sets you up to walk freely.

Dig for the truth: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Spending time in the Word goes a long way in helping us to hold our thoughts captive. When we read the truth and focus on what it is saying versus what we are saying, we are more inclined to know what is true and what is a lie. (If you struggle to understand what is true and who you are in Christ, I encourage you to write down God’s promises from scripture. Use these to fight negative thoughts when they come.)

Pray: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer doesn’t have to be planned or even perfect (FYI, that’s just another thought you can take captive). Prayer is offering your thoughts to God and asking Him to shape them and guide them so you can more clearly hear His voice.

As you continue to practice putting on your full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and seeking God for guidance over your thoughts, you will see how you will be transformed from the inside out! Your thoughts will guide your words, and your words will guide your actions.

Know you are not alone in the battle with your thoughts. Be intentional with your thoughts as you seek God’s voice—let the Father take control.

Reflection

Heavenly Father, my thoughts often are not pure and of you. They trick me into being afraid or causing resentment. Lord, help me to take them captive and align my thoughts with yours. Show me the areas of my life that need to come out into the light and help me to confess them, so they no longer hold me from you and your voice. I choose you, Father.

Help me to think about what is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable,” as you teach me in Philippians 4:8. Cleanse my every thought and knock down the things I think about that are not from you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.