This morning I picked up my 1984 version of the NIV Study Bible.  I was reading in 2 Corinthians and stumbled upon one of the footnotes that stopped me.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  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.

Many of us have stood on the knowledge given in these scriptures.

1.  We may live here, but we do things differently.  The do not wage war like the world.

2.  We fight with supernatural weapons!  And our weapons demolish strongholds!

3.  We demolish whatever sets itself up against the knowledge of God!

4.  We take EVERY thought captive and make it obedient to Christ!

I want to concentrate on that last verse.  The foot note states this about verse 5: “Every thought … obedient to Christ.  The center of man’s being thus becomes fully subject to the lordship of Christ.”

The center of man’s being?  Does that mean the CORE of his being?  Our thoughts are so important that they actually become the CORE of who we are?

Our thoughts = Our core?

I have seen this truth play out.   You can watch two people read the same scriptures, attend the same meetings, hear the same truths, but if ONE believes and takes to heart what she hears and the other doesn’t — you will see a difference in their freedom.   What is the difference in the two people?  I believe a huge difference is their THOUGHT LIFE.

It is sad when people get stuck in a cycle of negative thought patterns and entertain the lies of satan over and over in their minds.  Many times they don’t realize what they are doing because they don’t read the Bible.  Without knowing what IS of God and what ISN’T, they are hopeless to discern the difference.    However, there are those who DO read the Bible and they DO know (logically) when something isn’t of God, but they choose to entertain those thoughts anyway.  The thoughts have become a way of life and it takes discipline to stop the negative pattern.

God does not override a person’s free will.  He gives each of us the choice and ability to CAPTURE our own thoughts.

There are many seasoned Christians who are hindered in growing up because of this stumbling block.

I see thoughts (and words) as SEEDS.   Once they are planted, they begin to take root and grow.  Before you know it, there is a stronghold developed and it takes warfare with divine weapons to tear them down.  You can actually see the fruit of someone’s thought life!

I encourage you to improve in this area of your life if improvement is needed.   If you feel like you are strong in capturing your thoughts, then teach someone else what God has taught you.

This is a lesson our children should know as well.  It will be easier for them to learn this at a young age instead of having a life time of negative patterns and strongholds to overcome/demolish.

The song we learned as children, “Oh be careful little eyes what you see” is ringing in my ears, but instead the lyrics are, “Oh be careful little mind what you think.”  Our thoughts have a way of creating and birthing.

I pray you will be encouraged to capture your thoughts today.

I am linking with the blogs below.  Be sure to visit:

 

(Photo Credit:  seeds)