“We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
“If I don’t think about everything that makes me anxious, what am I going to think about?” I asked my counselor. I had to laugh at hearing myself ask the question out loud. But for someone like me, who spent a great deal of mental energy worrying about things, I wanted to know what my life would look like if God could really change my mind.
Part of growing in Christ is thinking like Christ.
Scripture is full of references to changing the way we think in order to mature in our Christian walk. Yet after accepting Christ as my Savior, I struggled for years with anxiety, fear, and depression.
The answer for me was realizing that I had never really thought about what I thought about. I didn’t know why one small disappointment spun me downward into a pit of depression. Once I prayed and asked God to show me where my thinking was veering off the right path, I began to see how my deep-seeded beliefs about myself were fueling my anxiety.
We all grow up with a certain belief system. Christian or not, our experiences, family of origin, and disposition inform our worldview. If we believe something contrary to God’s Word, like we’re not good enough, then anything that reinforces that lie can send our thoughts into a self-defeating cycle.
Taking the time to meditate on God’s Word and reflect on our own thoughts can help us “take our thoughts captive” and turn them to be more like Christ.
Lord, help me be more aware of the path my thoughts take throughout the day. By your Spirit, will you help me take any thought captive that does not please you and turn it around? Amen.
By Debbie West
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Take Every Thought Captive – by Max Lucado
• Staying on God’s Path – by Julie Lairsey
• A Self-Imposed Fog – by Kathy Cheek
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