Your thought life is the one place where you decide whether to be the master or the slave. “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. …And always be thankful” (Colossians 3:15 ERV).
Several years ago, I worked for a man who treated me horribly. He was in much pain, and it seemed he wanted those around him to suffer as well. As I would drive into work, the thought of how he would treat me started to affect me as much or more as when he was actually mistreating me. My thoughts only added to my misery.
People would not bother you so much if you did not think about them so much.
What you think about, has you. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
Your thoughts lay the path you will walk in. You must think differently to walk differently.
There are a few things that I did about how he treated me that has changed my life because I have continued to do them. The first thing was that I prayed blessings upon him. I didn’t pray for God to change him, only to bless him. Our prayer life and our thought life go together. If we are thinking condemnation and we are focused on the faults of others, our prayers will fall flat on the face of this earth instead of rising into the throne room of heaven. Just pray blessings.
Stop confessing the sins of others, and just confess your own. “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:3).
Don’t over-think your problems but learn to let go of them.
Another thing that I did has proven to be very useful, that in however he did mistreat me, I would ask the Lord to show me how in any way I was treating someone else in the same way. Even if my offense was a fraction of his, I did not want to make anyone else feel as this man was making me feel. Always the Lord has revealed to me where I myself have been in error with others. And so, my thoughts and my prayers turned to how I could change myself and better love my neighbor.
The life you live is the result of the thoughts you have. The only way to change your life is to change your mind. “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).
So long as you think your best days are behind you, they will be.
You must think higher to live higher. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7).
The closer I get to God, the more I discover how He uses the difficult circumstances to shape me the most. Sometimes it is the mistreatment of people that drives me closer to God. I find in God that perfect peace because He is faithful, He is good, and He is loving. Anything that drives me towards Him is driving me in the right direction.
When our thoughts are not towards Him, we are only left with ourselves. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
The more you let go, the less frustrated you will be. “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2 NLT).
The key to the blessed Christian life is in loving our neighbor. Jesus never said, pray that your enemy would love you, but only that we should love them. In so doing, we become a life force of heaven here on earth. Just as the darkness has no defense against the light, so hate has no defense against love. The only way to share the gospel with many is to simply love them when they don’t deserve it.
To live better, think better. “In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8 CJB).
Having a bitter heart is not dependent on your past, but only if you remain there.
I learned an important lesson years ago from a program recorded by Joyce Meyers. It was a recorded conference about her book, Battlefield of the Mind. The one thing that I have held onto from that program was her teaching that when we get a wrong thought, we need only rebuke it in the name of Jesus. I had much rebuking going on after watching that program!
Do that starting today, whenever a wrong thought comes into your head, cast it out in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If you want to change your life, change your thinking.
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read. An even better version is the one you live.
Thank you again Paul. I really needed to hear this. Blessings My Friend
Your welcome! This came in as anonymous, but God knows!
An awesome confirmation of how God has led me to keep a light heart as the devil tries to project & stir up thoughts of accusation & fear of man, with, “casting down imagination, Sir!”
Wondering if you meant to quote Isaiah 26 twice or if there’s another passage for the second use you wanted to include. Curious what that might be. Thanks for a great teaching on reframing bad vibes to a different, ‘intended end’ prayer perspective.
I try to use a variety of verses, there is so much we can draw from. When I include prior devotions sometimes they were done months apart but use the same verse. I will usually catch that, but this week I was terribly ill so was barely able to get something posted… Just now starting to pull out of it.
I also read Joyce Meyers two books on Battlefield of the mind. I remember when I give my life to the Lord I had nightmares of pass wounds that I couldn’t understand. One night after coming home from New years service I had a dream of my ex. It was so real; but I knew that I did not want to be associating with the dead so I rebuke as i was taught.
Then as I tried to go to sleep, the dream came back with rats ruining around me. I was afraid of rats since my youth, so I cried and after hours on my knees pleading the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit let me know that it was the enemy trying to distract me from God because my life had change and I no longer was in the world.
The nightmares of being attacked by someone that wanted money and had put a blade to my throat, cutting me but just missing my jugular lasted for 24 years. But God in his mercy saved my life and delivered me.
I am grateful for now understanding that when you are getting close to you visions, the enemy will come to tempt you.
Thank you for sharing your story. God has been so God to me it’s a privilege and honor to serve him by serving others as I continue in my Reach Out mission.
It is amazing the destruction and distraction that the devil does to the life of a believer who is being moved by God. In the Father’s great wisdom, He allows us to have these battles, not that we would be destroyed, but that we would be lifted up. Blessings to you as you share your story that will inspire others.
Thank you so much for sharing this Paul! I always leave blessed after reading your wonderful messages.