Take Every Thought CaptiveSample

Opposing God’s way for our own way is foolish.

When we think thoughts of self, we cheat ourselves. When we think we are wise, we are actually fools. If we insist on our own story and opinions, the “Author and Perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2 AMP) may as well write His story somewhere else.

Jesus asked the lame man, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6 ESV). Many of us should confront that same question today: Do we want to be healed?

Ever noticed? God doesn’t force Himself on people who don’t want Him. We must decide if we want His healing—if we want the mind of Christ. We cannot come opinionated, full of our own thinking—our rights, our formula, our way, our plan of what should happen—and name it God’s. We must have God’s thinking so that even our best thinking doesn’t become tainted with self-righteousness, self-promotion, or self-pity.

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord” (Isa. 55:8). What if our whole breakthrough is less about what we think and more about what God thinks? What if He cares less about our rights and more about His glory, His thoughts, and His intentions working through us?

To let go of our own minds is to walk by the mind of Christ.

What is this elusive mind of Christ we keep talking about? First Corinthians 2 tells us:

We have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. . . . But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (vv. 12, 14–16 NLT)

The mind of Christ:

1. Searches out things.
2. Reveals things to us by His Spirit.
3. Shows us God’s deep secrets.
4. Knows God’s deep thoughts and tells them to us.
5. Makes known to us the great things of God.
6. Gives us words from the Spirit.
7. Offers us the Spirit’s words to speak spiritual truths.
8. Offers words and wisdom that sound foolish to the world.
9. Speaks our language by giving us understanding.
10. Teaches us the Lord’s thoughts.

If we were to think like Christ, imagine the immense potential of how much we could do and how we could love just like Christ.

As you begin your journey, don’t come hardened, already knowing everything, assuming your thoughts are correct. Don’t come deciding you’ve already read the Bible and know its stories, verses, and doctrines. Come as a blank slate. Come humble. Come hungry. Come needy. Come ready. Come believing. Come willing. Come expecting God’s Word to meet you and renew you. Come anticipating a transformation by God.

Today’s Declaration: I don’t have to know it all, because Christ does, and His mind leads me!