Christian Thought Life
“… and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
1 Corinthians 10:5b
As a young woman growing up in the church, this verse was quoted extensively and used exclusively to talk about teenage lust and relationships! In recent years, as I read this verse in context, I have realized that limiting this extraordinary Pauline wisdom to such a small area of our life means we may miss out on all it can mean!
Over the last few weeks, our Student Ministries team has been talking with our younger Parishioners about mental health: how we take care of it, notice it, and how important it is to regularly look at our thought patterns and where it leads us: towards Christ, towards a full and rich life, or if those thoughts might lead us somewhere else.
As Christians, we should think about our thought in life. If we give any thought enough time and repetition in an isolated brain, eventually, the likelihood is it will become comfortable there – maybe even becoming the prevailing thought affecting our health, actions, behavior, or how we see ourselves.
To keep our minds following Christ, we should carefully consider what we feed our brains. This is how we know if our thoughts can be trusted: what are we watching, listening to or reading; whom do we have around us and are they voices we respect? Are we cultivating grateful hearts when responding to our circumstances and God’s provision?
Everything with which we surround ourselves feeds our minds, our bodies, our souls, and affects how we view ourselves and others. Over time, we must lean on the writings God gave us in scripture to help us know whether our thoughts are life-giving, or whether they’re thoughts that are slowly robbing us of our joy, our confidence, our faith, or our peace.
You might check in with yourself today with these five questions:
How are you feeling today, really?
When were you last in fellowship with God’s people?
Is what is taking up your thoughts this week kind, true, edifying or helpful?
What have you been giving your brain to work with in terms of rest, exercise, food and stimulation?
What are you grateful to God for right now – have you told Him?
