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.