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Psalm 143:8

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Psalm 143:8

Monday, July 1, 2013

Take Every Thought Captive - A Challenge

As I go about my day, many thoughts run through my head.  Happy thoughts, grumpy thoughts, critical thoughts, little prayers, judgmental thoughts, joyful thoughts, complaints, whines, groans, sad and depressed thoughts, impatient thoughts...hmmm, and some days a lot more negatively focused thoughts than anything else.  You know how it is, right?  We all think, all day.  So many different thoughts can run through the space in our heads in even just one minute. 

I've heard God speaking to me lately...this phrase over and over...."Take every thought captive..." 

What?  Brushing it aside, I continue on..."I'm busy, Lord.  Got things to do.  People to deal with.  Stuff on my mind." 

Whine, groan, complain.  Slam on my brakes as yet another person cuts so closely in front of me it's a wonder I don't have a dent in my car.  Think nasty thoughts about said driver....moving on...   "Take every thought captive....."  "Okay, Lord, I'm sorry I thought nasty things about that person.  I'm sure they are in just as much hurry as I am or having a bad day." 

And as the day goes on...it just never ends. Those negative thoughts...ripping away at the edges of my attitude. 'Til at some point, one of my kids will say something about how grumpy I am.  Oh.  I sure am. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says:  "...and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ."

What might my day, my attitude, my outlook be like if I did that very thing that God seems to be calling me to do lately?  Take every thought captive.  Take every complaint, every whine, every ungrateful, spiteful, cranky, judgmental thought and stop it in its tracks.  What if I examined my attitudes towards other people and ran them through a filter of love and hospitality?  What if I took my complaints and turned them around from what I'm lacking to what I HAVE already?  What if I looked at others through Jesus' eyes?  What if I found a reason to be joyful in trials instead of whining about my misfortune? 

Starting today, I am taking up the challenge that God is asking of me...to take every thought captive.  To stop each thought in its tracks.  To examine it.  To measure it up against obedience to Christ.  To turn it around into something positive...or, if I can't, to let it go.  I am going to put a filter on my lips so that nothing negative can escape.  And I am going to study the Word to see what it has to tell me about what it means to keep my thought-life obedient to Christ. 

Will you join me on this journey?  Will you take up the challenge to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ?  I know it won't necessarily be easy.  I know there will be times we stumble.  I know there will be times that our human nature will just take over and words will tumble from our lips that we wish we could unsay.  But, I think that as we focus on this new habit, we will find it gets easier to  make even our thoughts obedient to Christ's call.  I think we will find that we have a much more positive attitude towards a lot of situations and a lot of people in our lives that we might lack patience for right now.  I think we will find that it makes us more loving and kind...that we will walk more in the truth and light...that we will more closely resemble Jesus and the person He wants us to be.

I will journal this journey here.  Please, leave comments with your insights or lessons learned as you take this challenge with me.  Ready....set....go! 


2 Corinthians 10:5   "...and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ."


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