Skip to main content

Friday... We can take them captive.


Friday... We can take them captive. I mean, we can take thoughts that come into our mind that are there to discourage us, to get us off track, to cause hurt, to cause harm, we can take them captive.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5b (NIV), "And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

You realize, don't you that you don't have to say everything that comes into your mind? You don't have to dwell on every thought that comes into your mind? That is where so much distress comes from.

Over in chapter 11 verse 14 Paul says, "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." Just because it comes into your mind, it doesn't mean it is right. And so many times we speak it out like it is right. Again, we must take captive our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ.

So how do we do it? Well, when we say something without thinking and you then realize that it isn't right, that it was hurtful then we must stop, humble ourselves and admit that we were wrong. You don't let it run free, you capture it through an apology. Pride is not the way to take captive your thoughts.

Also it is important to stop, to be quiet and to reevaluate what you are thinking. Is it selfish? Is it hurtful? Is it what God would say? Is it unwise? There are so many questions to help you take it captive. And God to help you. His Spirit will prod you. Just ask Him and then listen. And also stop and contemplate what will happen when you say it. 

We also must take hold of our emotions. So much that comes in and comes out flows through our emotions. 

Please understand that if we say everything that comes into our minds then we are going to have to repeatedly apologize or if we don't then there will be a lot of people who are hurt and who will be angry with us. Let's strive to take our thoughts captive before we say them. And also make sure that we don't dwell on thoughts that are wrong. That can bring damage too.

Remember, Psalm 119:11 (NLT) says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Fill you thoughts with God's Word and then the Holy Spirit will bring it to mind when you need it.

The MESSAGE says, "Fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ." That is what we want, isn't it? Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning



Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call  out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.  It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...
Post a Comment
Read more