What are you THINKING!!!!!!!

One of the most difficult areas we as human beings struggle with throughout our lives are the thoughts that enter our heads.  We constantly have different things going on all day long that we forget or don't even pay attention to what our minds think about on a consistent basis.  But if you took some time to be conscious of what you are thinking about, I bet you will notice a pattern or consistencies in your thoughts.  The next thing is you will probably find that certain situations you find yourself in was because of the viewpoint in your thoughts, or you will notice you have adopted a pattern of behaviour as a result of the way you have been thinking!

That is why it is very important to make sure that our THOUGHT LIFE contains positive material and not junk that tends to seep into our words, our actions, or ultimately becoming new behaviours.  If your thought life contains ungodly things like paranoia, worry, anxiety, depression, or constant deep self-indulgence, then you need to immediately seek to renew your mind.

We all struggle with these things because none of us are immune from it.  However, what do we do when paranoia comes in as a result of fear.  Fear, which is an element of self-indulgence, is the basis of these emotions that attack our minds.  When we are concentrating on ourselves or trying to preserve ourselves (selfishness), we can easily fall into this trap.  Our minds will take on a life of its own and conjure up different scenarios or ways to perpetuate our fears.  Our minds start showing us pictures and or images of things that threaten us.  Ultimately reality becomes distorted by a lie created by the fear attacking our minds.

So now the question is, how do we conquer our thought life?  How do we stop thinking about and believing these awful things that go through our minds all the time.  How do we get to a place where we no longer have to feel rejected, worried, paranoid, anxious, or under attack by everything and everyone around us?  The answer is Jesus!

You might think, "How does Jesus affect what I think about?"  Well, when you fully know the depths of God's love for us, it changes you and it changes the way you think.  As Christians it may take years to fully accept, believe, or understand how deeply God views us.  When we do discover God's love our minds will not feel like such a battlefield.  Have you ever been in that place before...feeling like you are fighting against your thoughts and emotions?  It does get easier with practice.  The Word of God planted firmly within you will be your shield.  God's Word is so powerful that it pierces right through to the center of our beings.  God gave us the power to conquer our minds and our emotions.  And for that victory, I thank God everyday for His mercy and His grace! 

~ Tracey-Acadia Thomas