Have you ever, like me, had thoughts pop in your head that you didn’t know where they came from? We can’t necessarily control what thoughts enter our stream of consciousness. But we better control what we do with them after the pop up.
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The Bible teaches that we reap what we sow, (Galatians 6:7-8) and that reality is definitely evident in our thoughts. What we think directly influences what we do and who we become. Solomon challenges us to protect our hearts diligently since all of life’s issues flow from it. (Proverbs 4:23) When the Bible refers to our heart, it speaks not just of our feelings, but our thinking and our will.
The Secret to Successful Thoughts
Consider the admonition of Paul.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Take every thought captive.” We should have thoughts rather than letting thoughts have us. We have to ask the question, “who is in charge here, me or my mind?” I like to put it this way: think about what you think about.
So the secret to successful thoughts is to be both intentional and protective of our thoughts.
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Help for Intentional Thoughts
Let me suggest some habits you can nurture that will help you master your thoughts before they master you.
Defense
Generally speaking, your mind doesn’t make things up. Seeds are planted, consciously or subconsciously, that eventually bear fruit as thoughts. Be careful what you watch and hear. Our eyes and ears are the portals through which those seeds enter.
Evaluate what you watch, read, and listen to., Ask yourself what subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) messages they are implanting in your head. Be careful about having something on as “background noise.” Your brain absorbs much more of that than you realize.
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Offense
In addition to protecting our minds from harmful stimuli, we can also expose it to positive stimuli. Reading the Bible, listening to positive music, and reading good literature provide opportunity for planting better thought seeds.
Memorizing scripture fills our mind with God’s Word and leaves less room for harmful thoughts. Also, Jesus used memorized Scripture to thwart the devil’s temptations in the desert. (Matthew 4:1-11) And David observed that God’s Word stored up in our memory can help keep us from sin. (Psalm 119:11)
Maintenance
Finally, we can cultivate better thoughts by intentionally choosing to focus on the right things. In Philippians 4:8, Paul describes the kind of thinking that nurtures good spiritual health.
While we may not be able to stop the introduction of a thought, we can choose what thoughts we entertain. Starting our day of with a few minutes focused on God and His word will go a long way toward setting our thoughts for the day.
For more on Thought Maintenance, click here to read a previous article I wrote titled Guard Your Heart by Training Your Mind.
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The Importance of Your Thoughts
Consider the following Ralph Waldo Emerson quote from Steven Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
For further reading:
Spiritual Warfare and the Prepared Mind