“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” 2 Corin. 10:5 ESV
One lesson that has taken me a lifetime to learn is how to manage my thoughts and emotions in a healthy way. That is, learning-by power of the Holy Spirit- to identify, assess, and take corrective action when a thought pattern or a host of negative emotions starts to dominate my mind or my attitude. One of my life verses is Proverbs 4:23. The New English Translation reads, “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” The term translated “heart” in Hebrew refers to the command and control center of someone’s life: the mind, emotions, will, and inner motivations. When we are commanded to “guard our heart,” it is more than just a way of saying, “keep your emotions in check,” or “don’t get your hopes up.” Guarding our hearts entails testing our emotions and our thoughts and asking God if they line up with reality. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the Apostle Paul is speaking of how the proclamation of the gospel destroys strongholds. By implication then, believers- by the Holy Spirit- need to demolish thoughts which are not in accordance with Christ.
A helpful analogy is this: my emotions and thoughts are the sets of gauges in the captain’s bridge on a navy ship. In that control room are people monitoring various dials, levers, sensors, switches, and indicator lights. Their job is to follow orders, give the captain correct information, and alert the captain of trouble. On a naval ship, if the sensors indicate real trouble, then action is needed. But there is also the possibility that a dial is calibrated incorrectly, a gauge is broken, or that something outside the control room is causing a false reading. When a sinful thought enters my mind, or a particular harmful attitude takes hold, it is like an indicator light blinking or sensors beeping in the control room. It is my responsibility–by faith–to check what is happening and ask the Holy Spirit for a true assessment of my thoughts and emotions. Once the situation is assessed properly, then I need to obey.
Taking our thoughts captive to obey Christ and guarding our heart is the process of presenting to God our thoughts, our emotions and even our motivations, then assessing them according to God’s word and our current situation. We have to slow down, look at our thoughts and emotions from a different perspective, and ask God, “What is your truth, compared to my own perspective?”
When I was sixteen, I failed my driver’s test on the first attempt. I was disappointed, ashamed, and I cried a lot. My thoughts and words went something like this, “My life is stuck…I’ll never get my license. All the kids at school will laugh at me; I can’t face them. What if I fail the next time I take the test?” And the worst one, “I’m so stupid. I can’t believe I didn’t pass.” Thankfully, my Mom was there to give me some perspective. She reassured me that I wasn’t stupid, and that I would probably pass the next time. She reminded me that many people don’t pass their driver’s test the first time. She gently instructed me that my thoughts, and to a large degree my emotions, were out of proportion to reality, and certainly out of proportion to God’s assessment of me. It was a failure, but a small one when taken into proper perspective.
That experience may seem like a silly example, but we all need to “take thoughts captive” when we experience negative thoughts and emotions. Here are some common harmful thoughts and the corresponding corrections and prayers which Christians need to keep in mind:
- “Wow, that person seems so enthusiastic about serving the Lord, I couldn’t do that.” Correction: I am not called to serve God in the exact same way as anyone else. Prayer: God, show me where you want me to serve and equip me for that service.
- “I’ve never had a consistent time alone with God, I guess I can’t.” Correction: Jesus is eager for you to come to him in prayer or reading scripture anytime, anywhere! Prayer: Jesus, my relationship with you is not founded on how many times I read the Bible. Please speak to me as I read your word.
- “I am very worried right now about this particular situation:_____________. What if something worse happens?” Correction: Jesus, you told me each day has enough trouble of its own. I am losing present joy by worrying about the future. Prayer: Father, you know what I need even before I ask. Please give me what I need for this trial.
- “I can’t believe this person did that to me. That was so wrong, and I never got any apology!” Correction: Jesus knows my pain intimately. He suffered the punishment for my own sins, which are just as bad as any sins committed against me. Prayer: Lord, show me why I am demanding an apology. Expose my wrong thinking and give me a new heart about this situation.
The hardest thing is to consistently stop and ask the Lord for his help and his wisdom. It seems much easier to “go with the flow” of negative thoughts or emotions. But if a small, sinful thought runs in the background of my mind long enough, it becomes a constant drip which eventually builds into a waterfall, crashing down and doing major damage. But the hope of Christ is that he has given us a new heart, and a mind which is being transformed by the Holy Spirit as we come to Him by faith. God wants us to battle those sinful thoughts and win. May He renew us together!