In this fast-pace world we live in, not many of us slow down enough to take serious note of the thoughts that fly through our minds on any given day. Who has time to really stop and think about the kind of thoughts we’re having and the impact they are having on our lives?
Our thoughts do have a great impact on the quality of our lives. Our thoughts shape attitudes. Our thoughts have a great influence on our behaviour, relationships and a host of other things.
Your mind is a special gift from God. It has the potential to store 100 trillion thoughts. You’ve heard the saying, “Garbage in... garbage out!” Well, that’s God's concern when it comes to your mind. He wants the right thoughts coming into your mind. That’s why we need to be choosy. We have to pay attention and take some control when it comes to thoughts that try to enter our minds.
To do that, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 - “...capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.”
The Bible tells us of at least five things that we are to guard our minds against:
1. We are to guard our minds against false teachings. There are a lot of thoughts and ideas out there. Some are good and some are not worth a second thought. We need to guard against any thought that would turn our attention away from God. How do you do that? Know the truth found in the Bible. You find that as you personally read the Bible, asking God to help you understand what you read or find a church that teaches the God’s truth clearly. A good church will help you to know what is false and what is a good idea. The Bible tells us what’s on God’s mind and about His best for our lives.
2. We are to guard our minds against temptation. Psalm 101:3 says that we should not set before our eyes anything that is worthless. Again, there is good stuff out there, but there is also stuff that doesn’t deserve a second thought. If we are going to guard our minds we need to be careful what we watch on TV, what we set before our eyes. If we are not careful what we watch, we may see something that gets us thinking about something that will do us more harm than good. Sin starts with a thought. Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit.
3. We need to guard our minds against false experiences. Some people end up in a cult because they don’t think through what some group is promoting. Ask yourself, “Is this something God would really promote? What does the Bible say? What does my Christian friend, neighbour or family member say about this? Will this experience make me better or will it enslave me?”
4. We must guard against pride. Pride is a sin that God addresses more than any other sin. Now, there is nothing wrong with pride in a job well done. But when pride puffs you up, makes you appear more than you really are, we need to guard against that. It will only make things worse.
5. We need to guard against an overworked mind. In a society where people work harder to have things this life offers, sometimes we spend more times straining our minds trying to think how to get ahead than we do spending time filling our minds with how to strengthen those relationships we hold dear. Jesus once said that the two most important things in life are to love God and to love people. There’s nothing more important. If you want to use your mind well, fill it with thoughts of these two important things. But also, don’t forget to just take a day off. Give the mind time to relax so that it’s able to hold onto those things that are good, honest, right, pure, lovely and beneficial to all.
So, what thoughts are you thinking about? Are you guarding your mind? Take the time to protect this precious gift from God.
This Faith Matters column was provided by Tri-Community Baptist Church in Beiseker.
