Recently I have been struggling with decisions I have made and in the process of making. Wondering if I am making the right ones, wondering if God is proud of me, and wondering if I will ever know when I am in His perfect will for me. The truth is, there have been times when I have felt that complete peace but even in those times.....I wondered if it was my own peace or a peace brought on by Him.
I know, this sounds weird and confusing and God is not the keeper of "confusion". So with that being said, I have started to pray and pray for this chaos I call "thoughts" become a battle I hand over to Him. A battle that when negative thoughts, doubts, or worries come in....I hand them over to Him. I take my thoughts captive!
"Reject negative or sinful thoughts as soon as you become aware of them." Max Lucado
Easier said than done. However, when I was doing my Bible study the other day, I realized that my negative thoughts are a HUGE reason for my confusion. I start to focus on the bad, whether it be my bad decisions in the past or current.....I allow the enemy to come into my head and remind me of all the times I have failed and sinned. I allow him to tell me how unworthy I am and how ugly I am inside and out and most horridly, how guilty I am. I don't take my thoughts captive. I allow the enemy to run with my mind and before I know it, I'm confused.
"Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat." 1 Peter 5:8
Taking our thoughts captive is vital. We can't possibly think positive or Godly when we allow the enemy to take over our minds. It really is a battlefield of the mind, it really is a spiritual warfare between good and evil and it all begins in our head. If there are negative thoughts that keep lingering, tell God. Have a relationship with Him and share your frustrations and your thoughts and give it up to Him. Get lost in prayer! Get lost in Him.
Retraining my mind is something I have been working on for a while now and I have realized lately how vital it is to be positive and to think purity and lovingly. I pray for God to fill my whole thought process with love and His spirit! I pray the same for you! Remember, He is love. Let that love fill your whole being and your whole thought process! Be blessed today and remember to take your thoughts captive! Nothing is more important than a healthy spirit and a healthy mind!
