Taking Every Thought Captive
In an earlier post titled Think on These Things: I addressed thoughts. We should be focusing on whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—excellent and praiseworthy things.
How do you think good and praiseworthy things in the midst of turmoil, when you have been wronged, when life is overwhelming, when the dog has an accident on your rug, when there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done and your mother-in-law drops in unannounced with housekeeping advice?
How? How do you take thoughts captive?
I was explaining this concept to my 7-year-old on how to deal with his bad dreams (or nightmare like your mother-in-law dropping in unannounced). This is the best I can remember the conversation from 5am this morning before coffee.
As we snuggled in bed, I explained, “We have a long term memory and a short term memory. You have a good memory, Christopher; you always remember to walk on the left side of the horses. You remember this because you’ve said it in your head many times. Now you remember it without thinking about it.”
“Memories go into your brain cells and stay there. We only want good thoughts inside of us. But sometimes bad thoughts go in your head too. Next time the thought of a bad dream or thought comes up in your head, switch your thinking to something good that you enjoy like swimming or jumping on the trampoline.”
He was quiet for a few minutes and then said, “It’s not as much fun.” “What?” I asked for clarification. “It’s not as much fun jumping on the trampoline, in your head, as it is really jumping on the trampoline.” “No, its not as much fun,” I replied giggling and hugging him, “but it is much better than that bad dream for now. When it’s daylight you can jump ‘for real’ and you will enjoy it even more because you have been looking forward to it.”
How do you take a though captive when you have been hurt. When you are the innocent victim?
Satan enjoys any sin whether you preform it or if the sin or against you. When you are the victim what has been done against you can turn into resentment, bitterness and anger–i.e. more sin. This is serious stuff, our sin undermines the Gospel! It blocks us and others from the knowledge and relationship with of God.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Our sin nature wants to hold on to the wrong done to us. We want to repeat the offense, focus on it–burn it into our long term memory.
God wants us to forgive. Our thinking needs to be lined up with God’s thinking. We have a choice to go with our sin nature and dwell on the wrong to the point of sin or to submit “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”Ephesians 5:2.
Our Weapons
Submission to the Word of God and prayer are the weapons that will demolish the arguments and every pretension and restore us to a right relationship with God. We can’t change our behavior until we change our mind.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Proverbs 23:7.
When you allow your mind to be washed by the water of the Word you will do what comes naturally to people who love God with all their hearts. Walk in the light. Light cannot be hidden; it will shine through.
When you are wronged you have a choice. Which do you prefer?
- See yourself as a victim, focus on the sin, repeat it in your mind over and over. Complain about it to anyone who will listen. Allow it to snowball into prolonged hostility and anger, with thoughts of revenge and malice (Ephesians 4:31). Let it change you from the inside out into a cynical, crabby, bitter person (very possibly with a physical disease resulting from the hostile thoughts).
- Take the thoughts captive by prayer and submission to God’s love and forgiving power. Forgive the sinner, it’s OK to hate the sin, but don’t dwell on it (think of jumping on the trampoline instead). Plant a good memory of the sinner in your long term memory–just as God remembers us sinners–in love, grace and mercy through Christ. View the sin against you as a process of refinement that could strengthen and encourage others who might face similar trials and bring glory to God.
The Type of Fruit Depends on Your Choice!
The fruit in our life is directly proportional to the grace one has received and given. Don’t forget, I write these things to you because they are lessons I am learning–not because I have arrived. Read the following beeeeauuuutiful verses at least twice:
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:17-19)
Be filled.
