Think About What You’re Thinking About

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Think About What You’re Thinking About

For many years of my life, I didn’t realize that I could choose my thoughts. I simply thought whatever fell into my head; mostly lies from the enemy or just plain nonsense—things that really were not worth spending my time thinking about. Then one day, God spoke to my heart: Think about what you’re thinking about. It was a major turning point for me! You see, when we take time to ask ourselves, What have I been thinking about? we can identify our problems and be on our way to freedom very quickly. —Joyce

How to Win Daily Battles of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Daily Battles Of The Mind

I believe the toughest enemy to fight is the one we don’t know about. I was a Christian for years before I realized I had an enemy, Satan, who will do everything in his power to prevent us from walking in God’s good plan for our lives.

One of the primary ways he does this is through deception, trying to bring all kinds of negative thoughts to our mind.

You see, John 8:44 teaches us that Satan is a liar. He attempts over and over to get us to believe things that aren’t true. That’s why it is critical for us to learn how to renew our minds with the weapon of God’s Word.

Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world...but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind... (AMPC).

We are in a spiritual battle, and we must fight with spiritual weapons. God has given us His Word as our main line of defense against the lies of the enemy.
What Do You Believe?

Second Corinthians 10:4-5 says, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (NKJV).

What is a stronghold? A stronghold is an area where the enemy entrenches himself and takes control. You have probably heard this term used when referring to soldiers fighting battles.

Well, the Bible talks about strongholds in our mind. These are areas of our thinking dominated by the enemy—areas where we are deceived.

How does he do it? He comes against us by bombarding our minds with cleverly devised patterns of nagging thoughts that lead to suspicion, doubt, fear, reasoning and theories that refute the truth of God’s Word.

When these thoughts get rooted in our minds, then they become strongholds that give the enemy control.

For years, I believed so many things that weren’t true, and they created a mess in my life. For instance, I remember thinking things like:

“Nobody cares about me or loves me.”

“Nothing good is going to happen in my life, so I might as well not expect anything good.”

“I’m always going to have a second-class life because I was abused by my father and I’m damaged goods.”

I didn’t know I have a choice to reject wrong thinking!

The good news is that the Word of God is the most powerful thing on the earth, and as we read, study, learn, and live God’s Word, then it will literally transform us from the inside out and help us to destroy these strongholds in our thinking.
Do Your Own Thinking

Do you think about what you’re thinking about? This may sound funny, however learning to regularly take inventory of our thoughts is essential to having a good life.

It was a glorious revelation for me when I realized I don’t have to think about just anything that comes into my mind. I can choose my thoughts and do my own thinking—on purpose.

If your mood begins to sink or you have a bad attitude, take an inventory of your current thoughts and you will very likely find the culprit. I enjoy knowing that I can do something about my problems…that I can do my own thinking.

The enemy will try to get to your thoughts early in the day. Some mornings I wake up and, before I ever get out of bed, I begin having all sorts of negative thoughts about people and situations.

I have to talk to myself and say, “Joyce, you’re not going there!” Then I make a decision to think and say the right things…things that line up with the Word of God.
For Best Results, Try This...

The next time you notice yourself thinking the same old negative things, choose to replace them thoughts with truth from God’s Word.

For instance, if the enemy tries to convince you that you’re insignificant or unlovable, remind him of what God says about you:

“I am a child of God and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves me and cares about every single detail of my life. Before I was ever born, He approved of me. He has a great plan for my life!” (Psalm 139; Romans 8:38 Jeremiah 1:5; 29:11)

God’s Word is the answer to combatting the lies of the enemy. And the more we know His Word and get it deep down on the inside of us, the more we will enjoy freedom in every area of our lives.

This Week's Scripture: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.... Proverbs 23:7 AMP

Tip from Joyce: “At any moment you can stop thinking about something you don’t want to think about and start thinking about something you want to think about.” – Joyce Meyer

Study Suggestion: Read Psalm 143:4-5. What did King David do when he felt “overwhelmed” and “wrapped in gloom”? Now read Philippians 4:6, 8. How does the Bible instruct us to deal with difficulties and train our minds to think differently?