Stinkin’ thinkin’ will cause problems if not controlled!
What such timing God has! We’ve heard it said, “God is never early, never late; but right on time!”
No matter what Bible study I’m participating in, God seems to reach me where I’m at and teach me what I need to learn. In Beth Moore’s A Heart Like His, she taught about sin in our lives and how it can affect us. Well I got a test this past week.
We can sin in our thoughts. That really hit me as I had dismissed wrongful thoughts as not being sin as long as I didn’t say or do anything wrong. I wrestled with this revelation. I asked the Lord, “Can I sin in my thought life?” I felt like I got a response of “Let Me show you.”
After studying that segment in the Bible Study (those of you familiar with Beth Moore’s study knows there is much more covered in the material, but this part worked me over), I was tested.
I tried to reach a friend I wanted to talk to on the phone. She didn’t answer. I would run into someone and heard she went to one place or another with someone else. My thoughts started to become frustrated. I tried to call again. No answer. I started rationalizing that she was screening my calls and not answering upon seeing the caller ID. My frustration started to turn to anger. Another two days later, I tried again. Still no answer. Anger started to give way to what I wanted to say when I did reach her. She didn’t even return my calls.
I started praying for the Lord to bless her and to guide her and to guide me. I kept telling myself and the Lord that I wanted to give this situation to Him. I talked to the Lord but I felt like I wasn’t getting any response.
Finally I decided I’d try again after a week. She answered this time. She started explaining the things that were going on in her life before I had the opportunity to share any of my stinkin’ thoughts about the situation. I’m so glad the Lord moved her to speak first. If I had spoken, I would have hurt our relationship. Not only that, as she explained the situation she was dealing with, I realized she was the one who was sent in response to prayers I prayed that I felt the Lord lead me to pray. When I told her I’d been praying about that, her response was, “I knew the Lord put us together.” Whoa! I felt this was deep.
If I were allowed to speak my thoughts, I would have not only messed up a relationship, but the work the Lord is doing through her. I thank the Lord He didn’t let me speak. I repented for my wrongful thoughts. I realize now that a lot of situations I deal with are fabricated in my mind and never truly exist.
The things we do and say start with our thoughts. If our thoughts don’t line up with the Word of God, then we’re to take them captive and make them obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
I learned this last week to confess and repent of my sins in the thought stage. Jesus knows our thoughts anyway.
Matthew 9:4 NIV
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
Sins confessed in the thought stage will prevent the sin from progressing in the word and deed stages. I am learning and experienced a good lesson.
Lord, I ask for forgiveness of wrongful thoughts. Lord, I pray to take captive these evil thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. Lord, I ask You to lead me in my thoughts. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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