“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Last week we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions
• Your actions become your habits
• Your habits mold your character
• Your character shapes your destiny

Godly choices begin in our hearts, and we talked about the importance of repentance, prayer, and remembering the great things that God has done to conform our hearts to desiring God.

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder” (Mark 7:21). So, it is critical to get our hearts right to take the next step in the progression of Godly choices to conform our thoughts to what pleases God.

“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” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The question is how?  When one of my granddaughters was spending the night with us (she was about three years old), she was having trouble going to sleep. She kept having scary thoughts. I told her to think about something happy, but she said she was not able to. The scary thoughts just kept going through her mind and she could not do anything about it. I think that happens to us as adults. We have all kinds of thoughts that bombard our minds: impure thoughts, worries, fears, dredging up past hurts, anger, bitterness. It can seem like we have no control. These thoughts can keep us awake, they can keep us from hearing the sermon on Sunday, they upset us so that we are unkind to others. You know it is true. So again, the question is how do we take these thoughts captive and become obedient to Christ? One caveat. We cannot do this alone. We must submit ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are five practical ways to take your thoughts captive to make it obedient to Christ:

1. Decide in advance (daily or more often if necessary) that you are going to submit your thoughts to God’s guidance, and ask for his help, in advance.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us for just this purpose. Choose a Bible verse for the day to focus on when your thoughts begin to go astray and/or have a plan for something positive or productive to think about such as something you are grateful for. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
2. Think about what you are thinking. You may not be able to stop a thought from popping into your mind, but you can choose to continue to think it or to replace it with a more godly thought. “As someone thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7).
3. As an ungodly thought occurs, confess it, and ask for God’s help, then immediately replace it with your Bible verse or thanksgiving. Remember, God already knew your thoughts. When you confess, you are agreeing with God that you need to change your thinking. “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2). “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
4. Repeat throughout the day as needed. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
5. Be conscious of what you put into your minds in the first place. There is a computer term that applies: “Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO).” There is no substitute for the Scriptures; they should be foremost in our reading, studying, and meditating. Good commentaries, inspirational messages, and sound Bible study tools are also helpful. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

The main thing is to remember that you do not have to be, and you should not be, enslaved to your thoughts. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, you can decide what to think. Some days might be more challenging than others, but just remember this is a moment-by-moment decision to claim your thoughts for God.

One final thought: Our faith is a matter of our hearts and minds, before anything else. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). All we must do is believe, and belief happens in our hearts and minds, not in anything that we do.

In Christ,

Judy