Dear Friends, in this world, there is always a spiritual struggle within us, a tug of war between good and evil. This spiritual warfare will cease only when we reach eternity. Meanwhile, during our life here, how do we gain victory over the evil nature that rises up within us? Our actions originate from the thoughts that develop in our mind, which is not within our control. But it is within our control to decide what to do when these thoughts arise. I recently heard a message from a Christian teacher about how to win over thoughts which hinder us from leading a victorious Christian life. I would like to share them with you, so that all of us can learn some important truths about our thought life. Below mentioned are some of the most common thoughts which disturb our peace and the antidote for them from God’s word.
Sinful thoughts – Meditate
on 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you
except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can endure it.
When
sinful thoughts come in to our minds, rebuke them. When we sin, we lose the peace
of God. When we do not have peace, we are anxious and depressed and cannot live
a life of contentment. We need to pray
for strength to resist any sinful thought that creeps in to our mind and gain
victory over it.
Anxious thoughts – Meditate on
Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things
When we are beset by anxiety, turn our anxious thoughts to prayer and surrender all our worries to God to handle. Thank Him that He is in control and He is the answer to all our problems. Trust that God does everything for our good. His plans are always the best. Believe that He will work out everything that happens in our life for our good, in His way and in His time.
Discouraging thoughts – Meditate on
Psalms 42:5, Isaiah 41:10
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put
your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
So
do not fear, for I am
with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I
will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
When we are discouraged or depressed, remember that God is
always there for us. Put our hope in Him. Remind ourselves of who we are in
Christ, our identity as children of the most High God. When God is with us
nothing and no one can be against us. When we place our hope in God, we can rise
above our discouraging circumstances, and reign victoriously in life.
Futile thoughts
- Meditate on Ephesians 4:17
So
I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no
longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
Futile
thoughts are most often, thoughts about our past, wasteful thoughts which are
of no use to us. Most of us sometimes
think about “what if” or “what could have been”, which brings regret and
depression. Instead, we need to focus on
our purpose for today and live each day according to God’s will, fulfilling our
responsibilities sincerely and joyfully.
Bitter thoughts – Hebrews 12:15
See
to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter
root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
All
of us in one way or the other have been hurt by words or actions of those
around us. Sometimes it is difficult for
us to forget the wrongs done to us. But harboring
bitter thoughts affects our physical and mental health. We find in Colossians 3:13,
it is written: "Bear with each
other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” We need to forgive those who
have wronged us. When we remember that
we too are sinners and have been forgiven by the grace of God, through the
blood of Jesus Christ who died for our sins, we too should forgive others and keep no
record of wrongs.
Worldly thoughts – Colossians 3:1-3
Since, then, you have been raised with
Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. 2 Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For
you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Let us not follow the lures and temptations of
this world, which brings temporary pleasure, but set our minds on following the
ways of Jesus and obeying His will and commandments as He has instructed us
through His Word. Our guide for living in this world is the Bible. When we
follow the good Shepherd and heed His voice, goodness and mercy will follow us.
Guilty
thoughts – 1 John 1:9
If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
Guilt
is the acknowledgment of our wrongs and the realization within ourselves of our
sin. Once we confess our sins and repent, as written in above verse, God is
faithful and just to forgive our sins. Once God has forgiven our sins, He will
remember them no more. So we too need to forget and forsake any sin in our
lives. Once we have confessed and repented of our sins,we can be certain that
our sins have been pardoned and we are set free to lead a righteous life in
Christ. We do not need to feel guilty any more.
Dear
Friends, let us make a conscious effort to resist and overcome any thought that
arises in our mind which is against the will of God, and instead focus our minds
and hearts on thoughts that help us to lead a victorious Christian life.
Let
us affirm together as written in 2 Corinthians 10:5
We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.
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