Mark Twain wrote, “What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those other things, are his history.” (Reader’s Digest [1/93], p. 155). Here Twain emphasizes the importance of our thought life. It is important for the believer to understand that all actions begin with thoughts. In the song “Slow Fade,” by contemporary Christian artists “Casting Crowns” the lyrics read: “The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you’re thinking.” The song is about the process of sin as it begins in our minds and transforms, through compromise, into actions. As Christians, we must take hold of our thoughts. Here Paul directs us with a pretty specific guide of the things we should think about–“honorable” things, “pure” things, “lovely” things, “true” things. If we focus on these positive thoughts, our actions will, in turn be positive. Let this list be a guide to helping us “take captive every thought.”
And we pray:
Heavenly Father, Help me control my thoughts. Help me think only on the things which please You: truth, honor, purity, excellence. When destructive thoughts make their way into my mind, help me to cast them aside and replace them with thoughts that are constructive. Amen.
