"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."
2 Corinthians 10:5
The average person has 50,000 to 75,000 thoughts per day. Too often, these thoughts can be full of bitterness, envy, lust, or any other form of selfishness. It is a constant battle to deny oneself's desires and instead be obedient to Christ with our thinking.
Along with this, stress and worry are all too common in our time, a manifestation of being overwhelmed by the battle of the mind. Our minds are incredibly powerful, and in a fallen world they are too much for us to handle on our own. It does not take more than a simple Google search to find the world's solution to this battle. Yoga, meditation, and self-help books are becoming increasingly popular ways to try to obtain the "inner-peace" all long for.
While the world claims peace is found within, the Bible tells of a greater peace, one that is only given from above.
Philippians 4:8-9 is often referenced as the go-to passage for directing a Christian's way of thinking, and for good reason:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
But lets keep reading:
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
So in our battle for our minds, we must not forget the power that has been promised to us through the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Our peace is from the God of peace, not from ourselves. This knowledge of God is our standard as Christians. We take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
May the God of Peace direct our imitation of the obedience of Christ through the power and help of the Spirit. What better teammates could we ask for in our battle of the mind?
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