December 6, 2012

• Bad Thoughts. Good Thoughts.

  Our mind and  thought life, can be our best friend or our worst enemy. I think sometimes we do not realize just how powerful our thoughts are. Also, sometimes I have to wonder, do my thoughts control me, or do I control my thoughts?

  Proverbs 23:7a  "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

  Did you know that no matter how intelligent a child may be, if you tell him every day he is stupid and worthless, THAT is what he will believe? Such power our words and thoughts hold! We can create, or we can tear down. We can encourage, or cause dismay. We do it to others with words, and we do it to ourselves with our thoughts.

  How about this. You sneeze. Then, right away your mind starts in ---OH NO. I THINK I AM PROBABLY GETTING THAT COLD THAT'S MAKING THE ROUNDS OF THE OFFICE. OH! I DON'T WANT TO BE SICK FOR THE HOLIDAYS. WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN NOW? I PROBABLY WILL HAVE A FEVER BY EVENING. COME TO THINK OF IT, MY THROAT IS A LITTLE SCRATCHY.

  Come on now. Tell me your mind has never played that game with yourself. I do believe if you convince yourself you are sick, you WILL be sick. It's like you talk yourself into it! Do we need to just open the door and welcome in every thought? Absolutely not! Mark the bad ones RETURN TO SENDER and let them go!

  My grandfather used to tell a story about a guy he worked with who was very "suggestable." One day the other guys decided to play a trick on him. All through the day, people would come over to talk to him in the shop and then say something like, "Are you feeling OK? You don't look so good." or "Frank, wow man! You look pale. Is everything OK?" Towards the end of the day, they had poor Frank convinced he was sick, and he went home early.

  See how powerful our thoughts are? Kinda makes one understand that verse that talks about taking thoughts captive.

  (2Co 10:5 NIV)  "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."

  We need to be more careful about what we allow ourselves to think about. We can talk ourselves into or out of things so easily. We make excuses. We rationalize. We imagine the worst. Sometimes we are defeated before we start because we let our minds convince us we can't do it.

  The Bible mentions a lot about the need to meditate on the word of God. If we fill our minds with faith thoughts, and positive things, they can put us in a much  better place. We have to make choices. We can choose the positive, or we can let ourselves think all kinds of negative junk. I really dislike being around negative people because I have chosen not to let that stuff into my head and heart. I have had to train my mind, because it seems to want to go the wrong way if I don't pay attention.

  (Psalm 94:19 NLT)  "When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."

  (Mat. 22:37 NLT)  "Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' "

  Where do you think those bad thoughts come from? Some are probably self generated, but some also come from the enemy. He is constantly tempting us to let our minds go off in the wrong direction. He knows that wrong thoughts often lead to wrong actions, and that makes him happy. I do not like making the devil happy. Do you? Nope. Then we have to make a choice. Every day. Maybe twenty times a day! I will think about God's promises. I will meditate on His truth. I will trust Him and not allow myself to fret. I will cultivate a positive attitude and a spirit of thankfulness.

  (Php 4:8 NLT)  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

  Good thoughts, people! Good thoughts!

  • 11:28 am
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