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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
What is your state of mind?
The other day I came across a picture some friends had snapped while standing under a neon sign that read, “Sunshine state of mind.” Being in Florida, otherwise known as “The Sunshine State,” I thought the sign was a clever play on words. It also got me thinking. What state is your mind in?
If you take intentional time to consider where your head space is these days, what would you say? In other words, what is your mental state? What thoughts has your mind been fixing on? These are important questions to ask yourself because the thoughts you dwell on, your mindset, what you set your mind on, matters. The thoughts you allow yourself to linger on will not only impact the quality of your life but the trajectory of it too. Because where your thoughts go your life will follow.
The apostle Paul talks about the importance of paying attention to the state of your mind in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Take captive every thought. Here Paul is calling out anything that comes against the gospel of Jesus Christ, the truth of God’s Word, and he makes it clear that your thoughts are one type of stronghold that can hold you hostage. In other words, any false thinking, every thought you have that is not in alignment with the truth of who God is, who you are, how you see others, are to be obliterated and made obedient to Jesus. And, as you realign your mind to come under the authority of Christ, you encourage others to do the same.
Your mind is a battleground, and you must make sure that you don’t allow Satan’s deceptions to gain a foothold. Your thoughts can become a fortress holding you captive to false thinking. Jesus wants you to submit your thoughts to him so that he rules your thoughts rather than you being ruined by the enemy!
So, what is your state of mind? Are you dwelling on thoughts of defeat, unworthiness, jealousy, anger, pity, superiority? What thoughts are holding you captive and running your life that need to be held captive and made obedient to Christ? This is a friendly reminder to expose every wrong thought by the light of Scripture and in every single place you encounter wrong thinking, fight against that with the truth of God’s Word. Discipline your mind.