CAPTIVE week 43

-
Beyond the Mirror
Week 43

REFLECTION
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
The verse kept running through my mind as I tried to focus.
But focus I couldn’t.
Too many wayward thoughts.
For crying out loud, why couldn't I just focus on the dishes?
Just wash the plate.
Rise it.
Put it in the rack.
And another.
Just do it.
Before long, I realized that by focusing on the task at hand, I could take my thoughts capative.
Otherwise, they were holding me captive.
Sighing, I decided to finish the task at hand.
I could take my thoughts captive.
One at a time.

Keep me in perfect peace, Father, as I focus my mind on You (Isaiah 26:3).

IMAGINE THIS
If we treated our mind like we do our car, we’d be more in control of our thoughts. When driving, if we find ourselves lost, typically, for women anyway, (sorry guys but you know I’m right here) we turn down the radio, ask for directions, reboot the navigation system, and stop moving forward if we can. In other words, we break the cycle. We would never allow our car to keep taking us, on purpose, to the wrong destination. We’d be foolish if we did. But when it comes to our minds, we let our thoughts keep right on trucking. We allow them to distract us. Those wayward thoughts take control, and will block out everything logical around us. We will focus on those “what ifs” as sure fire realities.
So how do we take those thoughts that hold us captive - captive? 

Daily. 
On purpose. 
One at a time. 

It is a process that has benefits far beyond what we may ever imagine. Keeping our minds clear of chaos is a continual task. It is not something we do once and master. It takes work. The Bible has a lot to say about our thoughts and mind. It indicates that we tend to focus on carnal things more than we focus on God. And we get off center. This creates a cluttered soul which ultimately takes its toll on our physical body. 

 How do we change that? 
What can we do to take our thoughts captive and not be held captive by them? 

 This week's scriptures will help us do just that!



A DEEPER LOOK
Daily scriptures

Sunday
Focus on God
Psalm 121
Monday
Sound Thoughts and Peace
Isaiah 26:3
Tuesday
Hostile, Selfish Thoughts
Romans 8:7
Wednesday
Good Thoughts
Philippians 4:8
Thursday
God Only Knows
Psalm 139: 2b, 3b
Friday
Submit and Flee
James 4:7
Saturday
Search, Know, Protect, Lead
Psalm 139

MY THOUGHTS Journal your thoughts here This week, let's try to keep our minds focused on God and good things. Let’s see how He leads us toward peace.


Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for contacting YLCWV! I will get back to you shortly.

Popular posts from this blog

Create in Me

-
Image
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10) SEVERAL years ago, I drove across a few back WVa back roads, across Dolly Sods and Red Creek.  While taking this picture, I considered how the creek,  (pounced crick where I come from),  had marked out its own path . The interesting thing about a creek, is that when the water is high, it hides what’s laying in the creek bed; but a low water level reveals unsightly debris. Some debris, fallen trees and leaves, occur naturally. Other stuff, tires, plastic bags, bottles, they are deposited there on purpose. But debris is debris…and it mires the beauty of the creek and can change the course of the waters flow. Interestingly enough, Christians have a lot in common with a creek…and  when a Believer’s faith ‘ebbs and flows’, it sends a message to anyone watching, and they will  take notice. We’re all guilty of the spiritual ebb and flow phenomenon.  When our faith is high...
Read more

Christmas Wonderings

-
Image
  I wonder if I  pray differently than most people? Or maybe I pray exactly like most people…? My mind wanders, I fall asleep, I get interrupted…and then I’m done. Sound familiar?  What I need is to be outside, away from distractions. So this chilly morning, wrapped in a heated blanket on an enclosed porch, I entered into a quiet place of prayer. As an author, writer, introverted-mess, I’ve found the best way for me to talk to God is to write my part out and wait. As I’m sitting here this morning, enjoying Christmas on the porch and blogging, I thought of King David. He didn’t always have an ideal place to pray, yet that didn’t stop him from jotting down some desperate prayers. I’ll go out on a limb here, and assume that like me, he had some introverted traits, too.  Maybe that’s why I can relate to David’s prayers. I love how his writings jump from distress to praise without missing a beat! Still, “ as a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22), I wonder how mu...
Read more

Beyond the Bully

-
Image
 October is Bullying Awareness Month Together, we can empower ,  encourage,    enlighten , and equip our Neighbors and strengthen our communities. For more information please visit and share the following links. https://www.stopbullying.gov/ http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-strong-is-the-link-between-bullying-and-suicide-460620
Read more