Thoughts
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help me to want what you want me to want. Help me to turn my heart and mind to all things that are pleasing to you. And please have patience for me as I will inevitably struggle to do the very thing I say I want to do.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2
“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.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
REFLECT:
Thoughts. The images and ideas that flow through my head all day, every day. I will confess that try as I might, I still have many thoughts that roll through my head that are not pleasing to God. Actions, though, I’m pretty good at. I’m pretty good at doing the right thing or saying the right thing even as my thoughts aren’t always a match. Practical though that may be as I interact with the people around me, God wants more from me. He wants my whole heart and mind.
Tuning my mind towards what is good and pleasing to God has been a challenge. Though my struggle continues I have made great progress by applying advice from someone I consider to be a spiritual mentor. He said it quite plainly: What you focus on you will get more of. If you view lots of content with violence, your mind will be more tuned to violence. If you consume lots of angry political content, your mind will be more tuned to condemnation and retribution. Fortunately, if you give attention to God’s word, your mind will be more tuned to his best for us.
Everything we need to know and understand to live our best lives can be found in the Bible. God’s word is the truth. The more time spent with the truth, the more your mind will be focused on what is good and right. This doesn’t mean everyone must abandon their worldly interests and spend all day long reading the Bible. But, if your thoughts are not where you want them to be you need to shift the balance, at least a little. You must spend time with God to develop a mind that is more pleasing to Him.
APPLY:
One of the best ways to shift the balance in the images and ideas you consume each day is to develop a plan. Plan a specific time and maybe even a place to spend time in the Word. This can be literally reading from the Bible, or even transcribing passages into a notebook. It can be daily reading from a devotional series. The details of what you’re are doing are less important than making sure you consume God’s word on a daily basis. Make a plan, give it a try and see how your thinking may change.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus coming to be with us and teach us more about God, and what is good and right. Thank you for your infinite patience when we are slow to learn and slow to follow. You’re the greatest!
WORSHIP: