The radio played as I drove home sifting through the thoughts of my day.
Suddenly a quote caught my attention. I missed who it was credited to but it was good.
“No one is born a winner or loser, but each one is born a chooser”.
“How true,” I thought as I maneuvered through the traffic. I was a chooser…in every area of my life. Oh, I may not always choose my circumstances, but I would always be in charge of choosing my responses to those circumstances.
God gently nudged my heart and I began to think about some of the thoughts I was choosing to entertain about circumstances in my day. He reminded me that a response in life always begins with a thought. Some of my thoughts toward people and circumstances in my day were rather negative, critical and impatient. Left alone these thoughts would surely spiral me down and impact my responses in the same way. The choice was mine. God’s Word came to my mind.
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5b
God is so good to remind us that we need to take stock of our thoughts. Thoughts are the seeds in our lives that result in actions and responses. We choose to let them stay or to take them captive and throw them out.
I realized the events of the day were sowing seeds in my mind and heart of things I did not want growing in my life. God used that quote on the radio to remind me that I was a chooser. I knew the kind of responses I wanted in my life and these thoughts would not get me there.
God’s Holy Spirit is our helper. He draws us on to be what we, in our own strength, cannot be. He helps us toss aside the seeds that would bear sour fruit if left unattended.
Where are your thoughts today? Be aware of what you are choosing to dwell on from your day or even your yesterday.
Seeds always grow up and bear fruit. Paying attention to what parades through your mind puts you in a pro-active position. Before thoughts of irritation and frustration grow into angry, bitter roots, choose to ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you take those thoughts captive and to respond to your circumstances with His grace and love and His wisdom.
Father God, Thank you that You have equipped me with Your Holy Spirit to live day by day. Today I ask You to help me take captive thoughts that will spiral me down and cause me to react in ways I don’t want to. Help me to remember I am a chooser. Where I have neglected to choose in the past and roots have grown that I wish hadn’t, help me to have wisdom to know now how to weed them out. I look to You today to help me tend the seeds that come into my heart and mind and to choose what I will let grow. Amen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Question: When do you find it toughest to trust God?
by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Taking Our Thoughts Captive – by Debbie West
• Take Every Thought Captive – by Max Lucado
• Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ – by Francis Frangipane
• Choosers – by Gail Rodgers
• Capture Our Thoughts – by Debby West
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