~ Step 2: Control Your Thinking ~
NOTE: This Discipleship Model is a special 7-part
series showing a clear path to spiritual victory. One step will be posted each
day for a calendar week. After completion of this series Abundant Life Now will
“resume regular programming.”
A basic problem is that carrying out
good intentions ultimately requires hard work! But misdirected hard work
doesn’t accomplish much. In this series of posts we are looking at a Biblical
pattern for gaining victory in the Christian life. The second step in our Discipleship Model is to control our thought
life.
I heard a story once about a
kamikaze pilot. It seems that it was his 28th mission! Unfortunately that is
often the story of well-meaning Christians who desire to live a life pleasing
to their Lord. Has that been true for you? Many times they just don’t see a way
out of their habitual patterns.
A common contemporary saying is,
“The definition of insanity is to keep on doing what you’ve been doing and
expecting a different result.” If you are frustrated with the progress of your
Christian life, you will gain insights from this series. Let’s move forward.
Have you ever wondered how a
Christian leader who seems to have it all together can commit a terrible sin? The
answer is that the process was a slow leak—it was not a blow out! The tire in
this analogy is the brain and the leaking air is the thought life.
It is at the thinking level that
Satan rages his battle with you! If you are not actively testing your thinking
and your attitudes, you are headed for real trouble.
“All of us also lived among them at
one time, gratifying the cravings of our
sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts” (Ephesians 2:3, emphasis added).
Our thoughts eventually produce
results. “But the mind of sinful man is
death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace"
(Romans 8:6, emphasis added).
The Apostle Paul understood this
principle, “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and
gentleness of Christ … I beg you … For the weapons of our warfare are … mighty
in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”
(2 Corinthians 10:1-5, emphasis added).
The Apostle Peter
recognized the role of our thoughts, “Your heart is
not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and
pray God if perhaps the thought of your
heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and
bound by iniquity" (Acts
8:21b-23, emphasis added).
The writer of Hebrews understood the importance of our
thought life. “For the Word of God is living and
active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, emphasis added).
Our Lord made it clear that the
thought life is absolutely critical. “You have heard that
it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall be
in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22). “You have heard that it was said to those of
old, ‘You shall not commit
adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman
to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew
5:27-29). Jesus Christ certainly recognized the importance of our thought life!
Our strength or weakness is based partly
on our past thinking and attitudes that have been forming for weeks, months,
and even years. To strengthen our strengths and weaken our weaknesses we must
form new and regular patterns of thinking.
“Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,
think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, emphasis added).
“Fix
your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess” (Hebrews
3:1, emphasis
added).
Step 1: Paradox
~ Understand your partnership
with God.
Step 2: Thinking
~ Choose to control your
thoughts!
The next step will focus on how patterns of thinking gain control
over you.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
