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Quiet Time

    by Kasia Kedzia

Captive To Your Thoughts
Date Posted: April 12, 2011

A lot of our battles take place in the mind. I have moments when I let my thoughts run away from me. Negative thinking can really bind and restrict me – it’s faithless. Whether it’s believing I can push my body harder in the gym or adequately conduct a professional training, I am faced with a choice. I make choices every day to give up or do things that may be beyond me. It is a risk.

2 Corinthians 10:5 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.

The above passage is incredibly powerful because it illustrates the power of faith and obedience to an all-powerful God over submission to our limited thinking. The arguments that take place in my mind can be won. Knowing God more is what allows us to have personal victories. In order to take captive every thought I need to watch what I put into my mind, what thoughts I allow my mind to entertain; what and who I listen to and watch. I used to have a limited view of 2 Corinthians 10:5, I restricted the passage to “bad thoughts.” However, the more I reflected on it the more I recognized that negative thinking can be equally destructive.

There are thoughts that are self-deprecating that prevent us from action. On the other hand we can also have thoughts that would lead us to actions prematurely. At the end of the day both forms of negative thinking are rooted in self reliance. On the one hand I don’t want to take a risk and push myself but would rather rely on my limited self while on the other hand I want to act on impulse and take matters into my own hands. Whatever the case I am called to discipline my thoughts instead of allowing them to control me. This is not by my own power, it’s up to me to trust in who God is; trusting in his knowledge empowers me to take captive every thought. Making thoughts obedient becomes more about aligning them with the truth of who Christ is, versus somehow trying to wrestle them to the ground and beat them out of my head.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

All good things are worth waiting for. Sometimes I am called to wait while other times I am called to take action on faith. No matter what the situation calls for, answers will come when I push myself beyond my comfort zone. It takes time to see progress, and discipline to be patient. Waiting can be uncomfortable. The unknown can be scary, but it is easier to face when I trust in the one who knows. I have been granted a spirit of power: all of God dwelling inside me. When I tap into that power I am able to do so much more. It takes wisdom to make the right choice but when we know the truth and trust in it we get wisdom, discipline, and understanding. It is up to us to act on it.

Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

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Biography Information:
Gods brought me a long way from the New York City Housing Projects. I studied the Bible, repented, and was baptized for the forgiveness of my sins when I was 17 and have been repenting and striving towards heaven ever since. The hardest thing about becoming a Christian at 17 was trusting that God would take care of me, meet my emotional teen needs, and help me overcome my enormous insecurity...what else would a teen girl have trouble with?

Since those first days, I have made it out of the Projects, finished my Masters degree in International Development, and moved  to DC  to work in my field. As a young single Christian woman my struggles today are a little different than they were when I first came to know God, but who am I kidding, not much. It's the every day battle for my heart to be pure before God, to strive to please him, and help others to seek and know Him.

Over my years of a faithful walk with God I have received much grace and compassion and have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Through out it all one thing has stayed consistent: God's word. Through His word I have been inspired and it has kept me faithful even when faith seemed like a foreign concept and God seemed deaf to my prayers. I started emailing my Quiet Times which helped me stay accountable as I shared my struggles and fought for understanding. Some wrote back and said they too were inspired and could relate. I hope some of my times can help inspire others who are seeking and fighting just like I am, to get to heaven and take as many as possible with me along the way.

Like what your read? Check out my blog: http://stronggirlforlife.wordpress.com/
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