The Power of Thoughts

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Today I want to write to you about the building blocks of who we are, the words we say, and the lives we lead:

 Our thoughts.

 Why do I say that thoughts are the building blocks of life? After all, no one knows about them other than us, so why does it matter so much what we think?

 Well, we often forget one vital truth - one enlightening and freeing truth - 

 God knows EVERYTHING - and that includes our most private thoughts!

 Each and every second of every day, God is aware of what we are thinking. And believe it or not, we can sin even in our own, "innocent" little minds - through hatred, judgement, jealousy, lust, and idolatry. Even thoughts that distract you from following Christ.(Sidepoint: our minds are not innocent. The sin nature still stains our thought-life, even if we're saved).

 The Bible addresses thoughts frequently, and it addresses the importance of them. Where our thoughts go, our desires follow. As Proverbs 4:23 says,

 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
And Proverbs 23:7,

As a man thinks, so he is.

I don't know about you, but I find psychology to be pretty fascinating. Currently I'm taking a Christian high school course in introductory psychology, which I'm hoping will help me in a possible life coaching career someday. I'm also reading a book called, Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian psychologist. Both of these sources are saying the same thing: 

You are not a victim of your thoughts.

In Switch on Your Brain, the author offers an eye-opening fact that gives hope for those feeling powerless over their thoughts. It turns out that every morning, you wake up with a set of new baby brain cells. In other words, you don't have to think what you've always thought! It brings a whole new meaning to the verse, "[God's mercies] are new every morning.." (Lamentations 3:23) It's what you do with those brain cells that makes all the difference. They can be used to either add to your wisdom and draw you closer to God, or to further solidify your old habits. The choice is yours.

Psychologists have estimated that we think, on average, 60,000 thoughts a day. Out of those 60,000 thoughts, it is estimated that 75-80% of them are repeated thoughts.

However, even if you've had a negative habitual thought pattern since childhood, there is still hope. The grip may be strong, but God is so much stronger. Christ didn't just die to forgive our sins, but also to give us the power to overcome those sinful thought patterns (Philippians 4:13). We just have to rely on His Strength.

As Christians, we have the responsibility to give each thought to God and ask if it is right. (2 Cor. 10:5) We can be completely honest with Him - as I said before, He knows every detail already. Begin today: confess (even throughout the day) wrongful thoughts. Now, begin to weed out the bad and replace it with the good. You will find yourself thinking whatever your environment feeds (media, reading, TV, other people - whatever you spend most of your time doing). You can turn that around by spending more time digging in the Word, meditating on scripture, etc. (Psalm 1:1-2). Allow God to have free reign over your thoughts, even if they sound crazy or too picky. (Gal. 2:20 - not I that lives, but Christ lives in me). This is the renewing of your mind as mentioned in Romans 12:2.

What should we think about? Well, Philippians 4:8 provides a pretty good guideline:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - think about these things.

Basically, we should think about God's goodness, praying without ceasing, and thanking Him for all the blessings He's given us (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Here's another thought: is there anything that you find yourself distracted with during Bible time? Maybe it isn't inherently bad, but it may be worth taking a look at. Perhaps it's an idol, which the Bible tells us to crush. Ask God, specifically, if that particular thought is something that needs to change. You have the choice to entertain the thought or not. Why should we allow something to hinder us from running the full race we were meant to run (Hebrews 12:1)? We are warned to be vigilant. (1 Peter 5:8)

 "Christian, beware of thinking lightly of sin. Take heed in case you fall little by little." - Charles Spurgeon



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