Power for Living Part 4 - Carry On Baggage
by Gail Rodgers
As my bag went through the x-ray machine at the airport the security guard pulled me aside. “You have three electronic devices”, she said. “Would you show them to me please! As I dug the items out for inspection I was aware of how the security had increased. They were doing their best to make sure nothing got on board that aircraft that could cause potential damage.
I was reminded of my own life and how carelessly I sometimes let things on board that can cause potential damage simply through my thoughts. A verse in God’s Instruction Book, the Bible, made new sense to me. “Take captive every thought unto the obedience of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5) When I have negative thoughts, self condemning thoughts, thoughts that tear others apart, or in other words, thoughts that are not the kind of thoughts Jesus would be pleased with, I can recognize them as potentially harmful and choose to let them come on board or I can take them captive and choose to throw them out.
Does it matter which I choose? After all my thoughts are my thoughts. They are private and they make up me and what I am thinking and feeling. They are simply my business and no one else’s. Does it matter if they please God? Listen to this. The Bible says that…
“as a person thinks… so he is.” Prov. 23:7
Your thoughts are critical to who you are. You become what you think. Because God created you to be uniquely you and knows best what will bring fulfillment and passion in your life, He can be trusted to help you sort through your thoughts so you can become all He knows you can be.
Many self-help books these days promote positive thinking. But in spite of how hard we try ourselves, we all know the frustration of thoughts we just don’t want but seem powerless to stop and the disturbing feelings that wrong thinking can bring us.
The minute you recognize a thought that you don’t want on board run to Jesus. Tell Him the things tumbling about in your mind: the angry thought, the anxious worries, the critical thoughts of yourself or others and ask Him to remove them. As often as necessary ask Him to remove the thoughts you do not want on board. Ask Him to send His peace in their place. His peace is not just a feel good feeling. It’s a peace that is deep and abiding and will hold you in the storms of life.
It almost sounds too simple doesn’t it? We all know how persistent wrong thoughts can be. The power of the Holy Spirit is what helps us change our thinking in those inner secret places only we know about. And you know what happens when we begin to take captive our thoughts and invite God into the recesses of our minds? We change. It is a promise from the heart of the Father:
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… ” Romans 12:2.
When we invite Jesus into our lives He doesn’t promise to smooth out all the bumps in the road. He promises to actually change us, transform us, and make us new. Allow that change to begin to take place today by choosing to choose your thoughts with His help!