Restoring Your Soul - Living a Limitless LifeSample

Captive Vs. Prisoner

Consider the difference between these two words:

Captive — “one who has been captured: one taken and held usually in confinement.” Being held, but not necessarily because of any wrongdoing.

Prisoner — “a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody.” Being restrained is a direct consequence of their actions.

Captive — “one who has been captured: one taken and held usually in confinement.” Being held, but not necessarily because of any wrongdoing.

It is important to distinguish between captivity and imprisonment in terms of our thoughts. Consider that we have the ability to either take our thoughts captive or allow them to imprison us. We willfully imprison ourselves with negative thinking when, in actuality, we can release ourselves from being held captive to our thoughts.

We are not prisoners of our thoughts. Victor Frankl, a prisoner of war, wrote that the one thing the Nazis couldn’t take from him was his attitude — “a mental position with regard to a fact or state.” He went on to say, “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude’s own way in any given set of circumstances, to choose one.

Unchecked thoughts can become strongholds if not surrendered to Christ. Intentionally shift focus toward what strengthens. Choosing life-giving thoughts strengthens our spirit.

I Invite You to:

Break Agreements with the Lies Verbalize, “I break agreement with the lie that…” and I choose to believe the Truth that… (whatever Scripture you choose to use to combat the lie).

You can be proactive in changing your thoughts by clearly articulating what you want to focus on, both currently and in the future.

I Invite You to Pray:

Father, give me the Wisdom I need to not be imprisoned by negative thoughts, but take thoughts captive and be transformed by the renewing of my mind. In Jesus' Name, Amen.