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Think About What You Think About

Have you ever seen those cartoons where a character is presented with a temptation, and then a little red-horned devil appears on his shoulder in an attempt to lead him astray but then, a white-robed angel pops up on the opposite shoulder to lead him down the path of righteousness? Yeah, me too. And unfortunately, I can relate all too well to the scenario.

I’ve learned there comes a time in life when those voices in your head (or on your shoulder) start to compete with each other. Suddenly, things that were once clear become murky. I cannot tell you how many times that little red devil whispered in my ear: You’re a bad mom, a bad wife—you’re just bad in general. Clarity was lost and suddenly my mind was filled with so much static that I couldn’t discern the truth. Finally, when I had enough, I decided to flick that little red devil off my shoulder for good!

Here are the life-altering steps from Scripture that I found helpful for fighting those voices in my head.

Step #1: Think about what you think about. Our thoughts are the catalysts that set our courses. This is where positivity or negativity and good or poor choices come from. The easiest thing to do is to let the mind run rampant, but we have to recognize that not every thought is true. 

Step #2: Once you’ve thought about your thought, capture it! 2 Corinthians 10:5 says we have the power to capture our thoughts and make them obey Jesus. 

Step #3: Test your thought. The test? Philippians 4:8! Is it true, pure, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy? If not, what is the truth? 

Step #4: Decide what to do with the thought. Is it true? Keep it! Is it a lie? Throw it out! 

Our thoughts are powerful. They’re the motivation behind every action. Make it a priority today to evaluate your thoughts. Say goodbye to that little red devil. I promise, it will be a game changer!

—Shannon, Mastering Painful Thoughts by Capturing, Testing, and Deciding

Pray: God, not every thought that pops into my head is true. Not every thought I sit and think about is true. I ask you to forgive me for thinking about and believing untruths that are not from You. From this moment on, I choose to focus on and think about Your truth.