You’ve probably heard the saying, “you are what you eat,” but did you know it’s equally true to say, “you are what you think.”
This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “you are what you eat,” but did you know it’s equally true to say, “you are what you think.” Your thoughts control your actions and your words. They control what you remember and what we imagine. This is why Paul was so adamant in Romans that we are to transform ourselves through the renewing of our minds and in Philippians to think only on the good and positive.
If we are to truly transform ourselves into Christ’s image on the path of discipleship, then the first step is to be aware of thoughts and actions and to control them, rather than letting them control us. We are to bring every thought captive, which means that it can be done. We don’t have to live trapped by our thoughts and words. We can submit them to God, test them against scripture to make sure they line up with God’s truth. And in both, we set ourselves free from bondage to the flesh and our inclination toward sin.
But how, you might ask? When a thought pops in your head, don’t simply let it run rampant around your brain. Pause and study it. Ask is this something that builds you or others up? Is it good, noble, or truthful? If the thought is that you are alone, abandoned, and unloved, then you know it’s a lie because God’s word tells you the exact opposite. Even if you have no friends or family, if you are a believer, then God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are always with you. You are immeasurably loved. Now, your thoughts and emotions might try to convince you otherwise. This is when you bring them captive. Bind them up by quoting and choosing to believe the truth of scripture. Then over time, those thoughts won’t have the same power over you.
But what if words are your issue and you say everything that comes into your head unfiltered—good and bad. You can still take those words captive. As James wrote, bridle your tongue. Again, when a statement comes into your mind about a person, a situation, or even yourself, pause. Ask those words if they line up with the truth of scripture. If they do, great. Speak them out. But if they don’t, then swallow them. It’s better to be silent than to wound others with words. The childhood rhyme about sticks, stones, and words is wrong. Words hurt just as badly as sticks and stones—they’re impact just may not be as obvious to the rest of the world. And as followers of Jesus, we want to be known for our love and our life-giving just as he was.
This is how we transform ourselves and become more Christlike.
This is Felicia Ferguson, thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.
