Have you ever gone through a day and said, “Where in the world did that thought come from?” Or maybe you exclaimed, “Wow, that thought came out of nowhere!”
We’ve all experienced that that from time to time, but most do not realize that thoughts do not just jump out of thin air.
For the most part, we learn many of the ways that we think. When you are born, you needed to be taught basically everything. Left alone you would die. You are not like an animal; you need to be taught how to feed yourself, think for yourself and live life for yourself.
During the journey, you picked up thought systems and ways of living, behaving and doing things. Some are good; some are great. Some are not so great. Some are not of God at all. Some are downright killing you.
We have to address how we learned to think, because it set the framework for how we think today. Our parents, teachers and friends influenced not only what to think on, but what thoughts to cultivate in our lives. If you are anything like me, there are some adjustments that need to be made so that you can walk in a more prosperous way.
Of course all of us have a genetic effect, where certain thought patterns are more active in our family line. We may have a genetic bent to certain thoughts, but regardless, we as human beings need to be taught how to think and learn how to process life. If we don’t have proper mentoring and guidance, we can become wide open to thoughts that can paralyze us; with little understanding how to discern destructive thoughts.
One of the most empowering things that every Christian needs to understand is that not every thought is your own thought. In fact, most of your thoughts are not your own! In my Healing and Freedom From the Inside Out training series, I help people understand the four sources of thought:
- From God
- From interaction with others and our five physical senses
- From recall of thought patterns that have already been established in our lives
- From the enemy
If you are not able to dissect which thoughts are coming from the enemy, then you will have deep challenges in life. The biggest problem is that those thoughts sound like your own, as though you came up with them.
Fear can sound like you.
Anger feels like its all you.
Little do we realize that an intruder is getting into our thoughts.
This is why discernment is so important.
Forget about trying to discern what’s going on in other people. Let’s actually learn how to discern what’s going on in us first. We spend so much time looking at others that we miss our own thought invasions.
The enemy uses subtle thoughts to weave a story about God, yourself and others. He seeks to steal, kill and destroy in every way by giving you thoughts that give you a distorted lens on life. He uses his megaphone to keep you bound in dysfunctional patterns and hold you back from wholeness in your life.
So what do we do about this? The plain truth is that you alone are responsible for what you will do with your thoughts. No one can take this responsibility away from you. Many people want to be rescued from the difficult thoughts, but the only way to overcome them is to face them and shut them down from having power in your life.
You are the gatekeeper of your thoughts. That is the role your human spirit has to do—decide which thoughts will gain access and which will be torn down
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5, MEV).
Many have not develop their “taking thought captive” muscles. They go along with whatever thought pulsates through their being. Too many are “too easy” for Satan. His army can throw a thought our way. Next thing you know we are riddled in bondage and defeat.
Where do you need to be more aware of your thoughts?
Where can you be more aggressive in taking your thoughts captive; fighting the good fight of faith?
