Capturing a Thought

Capturing a Thought

“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.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

I’m reading a great book right now by Jennie Allen called Get Out Of Your Head. The last few years, I’ve focused intently on this God-originated idea that I can take every thought captive. The more I’ve learned about my thought life, the more I’ve come to realize that almost every problem I face starts, continues or ends because of my thoughts.

If you think about it, it’s where anxiety and frustration comes from; where depression and hurt spirals; where feeling unworthy and unlovable gets hammered down. Sure, we feel something. Something happens to us. We experience emotion. But our thoughts are what start, continue or end those feelings.

Let’s say, for example, someone you know kind of gives you a sideways glance. It wasn’t loving; it was just weird. The emotion you feel? Hm, what did I do wrong to THAT person? So your mind starts to wonder, why are they mad at me? Did I say or do something wrong? And the narrative starts to spin – in your mind!

There’s an action: Sideways glance.
There’s an emotion: Anger or blame.
But our thoughts are what construct their narrative and spin the story however it wants to spin it, true or not.

In the last several years, here’s what I’ve focused on: I’ve started to pay attention to my thoughts. Thoughts feel like their uncontrollable, because their just thoughts that randomly pop into your mind, right?

Wrong.

What I’ve learned is that when I pay attention to my thoughts, I can hold it objectively, evaluate it, and then decide what I’m going to do with it.

Rather than letting that thought spiral, I can address it head on. I can ask the person: Is everything ok? I can shrug it off and tell myself: If something was really wrong, they can talk to me. I can hold that thought and move it down the pipeline one way or the other.

Here’s the thing: We are way more powerful than we believe. With the Spirit of Christ in you, you are capable of choosing how to respond to actions and feelings. And you do that by taking a thought captive and using it however God wants you to use it.

That’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in the last few years.

With the Spirit of Christ in me:

• I’m powerful.

• I can choose.

• I can take every thought captive and use them for the glory of God.

• I don’t need to let other people’s actions spiral me down.

• I don’t need to let emotions send me in an unhealthy direction.

• I can pay attention to my thoughts.

Today, pay attention to your thoughts. Evaluate them objectively. Ask God to show you what to do what with them. And know, you have the power to take them captive rather than let them power over you.