Under Renovations: Redirect

Last week we looked at how we are to capture our thoughts like prisoners of war and insist that they bow in obedience to Jesus Christ. I realised that sometimes we become so good at capturing our thoughts as prisoners of war but we do not know where to go thereafter. I have had bad thoughts roaming around my mind and I captured them as prisoners of war and insisted they bow in obedience to Jesus. But I didn’t know what to do after. So my mind remained fixated on the thoughts I had captured. 

So there is another step we must take after we have captured the thoughts. Philippians 4:8 tells us what that step is and it says, “So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.”

Once you have captured all thoughts, you need not keep your mind on the bad ones, but instead fix your thoughts on all that is authentic and real, honourable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. That’s a high bar for our thoughts. Any thought that does not reach that standard, this verse says we ought not be fixing our minds on it. We should not be thinking about it. 

The journey to a transformed mind relies on you being aware of your thoughts, capturing your thoughts and allowing God to re-direct your thoughts. Replacing bad ones with what the word of God says. Replacing hopelessness and defeat with hope who is Jesus Christ in us, and victory. Surrender is a big part of that journey. Understanding that you are no longer in control of your life but God is. Trusting that He knows exactly what He is doing with your life. Choosing not to meditate on things that are contrary to Philippians 4:8 but choosing to fix our minds on what God says about us. 

We will never move past where we already are unless we allow God to renovate our minds with the truth of who He is, who He is in us and to us and who we are. We have to be willing to let go of all our pre-conceived ideas about God and ourselves. Such that we give room for God to come and make the necessary adjustments, tweaks, renovations in our minds. We have to make room for God to re-direct our thoughts and our lives, so we can become all that He has called us to be. 

Next time you find yourself thinking about something, first take it captive as a prisoner of war then run it through the Philippians 4:8 test to see if it passes the test. There are some battles in life that we can win just by learning how to think right and how to align our minds with the word of God. 

I hope this series has been a blessing to you. 

Love and blessings, 

Melissa Tsingano.