May 14

Three Thoughts

I know this may sound strange, but not every thought is from you, and not every thought that crosses your mind is even true. Some of your thoughts come from the wounds that have built up over time. Some come from the enemy. Some come from culture. We need to learn how to stop entertaining the ones that aren't from God. Bring every thought under Christ's authority and let him be the final word.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5

Paul teaches us to think about the right things. True. Honorable. Just. Pure. Lovely things. Because what you think about shapes who you become. If you're constantly in fear and comparing yourselves to others, don't be surprised when you become more anxious. Feed your mind what makes it thrive.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

Your heart is something that you need to learn how to guard because everything you do flows from what's happening on the inside. What you choose to let in through screens and conversations and your self-talk eventually comes out. So if we learn to guard our hearts, then we learn to guard our lives.

PROVERBS 4:23

Two Quotes

Teacher and author Beth Moore on identity:

"You must go to God's Word to know what is true about yourself."

Speaker and author Jerry Bridges on holiness:

"Holiness begins in our minds and works out to our actions."

Prayer

Dear God, I admit, my thoughts wander a lot of the time. And sometimes I can barely escape some of them. Teach me how to take every thought captive by your truth. Replace the lies with your Word. Replace the shame with your grace. Help me guard my heart today, because everything I do flows from it. Amen.

Question

What thought has been running your life that you need to hand over to Christ?

See you next Thursday,
Zach

P.S. Guess what!! I finished the second draft of my next book, "How to Be a Christian," this week!! Now I'm going to do one more big edit where I cut about 10,000 words and add more creative writing to it, then it'll be time to submit the book to my publisher! Thank you for your prayers!