I have heard so many people assert that we cannot help what we think. On the surface, that sounds correct. At times, thoughts come and go before we are aware that we think them. But that is not the whole story. With practice and discipline, we can change the patterns of our thinking. The apostle Paul boldly asserted, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does,… we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10: 3-5). What does taking a thought captive mean? To me, it means not letting our thoughts run away from us, but reining in (taking captive) thoughts that do not bring life.
This is not a quick fix or easy change to make. We have not come by our negative thinking patterns, or our worrying habits over a short amount of time. Perhaps without meaning to, we have fed those thoughts over many years or decades. Yet with singular attention and commitment and the help of others, we can begin to join Paul in the deep work of taking our most destructive thoughts captive in obedience to Christ.
What is the habitual thought you battle? We are in a war against our soul-crushing thoughts. Name that thought. Then commit, in the name of Christ, to begin the arduous work of taking that thought captive – not allowing it to run rampant and ruin your life. Be strong. You will fail many times and get discouraged. Be persistent. Win the long-term battle of taking your thoughts captive.
