Bible Verse to Explore: Philippians 4:8
We need to be careful to control our thoughts. Why? Our thoughts control our actions. If we think about bad things, we will do bad things. If we think about things that
make God happy, we will do things that make God happy. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, “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.” Then, Colossians 3:2 he says, “You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth.” Clearly, it is important to take charge of our thoughts. How do we do that?
How do we control our thoughts?
Here are three practical steps that we can take to begin to get our thoughts under control:
Replace impure thoughts with pure thoughts.
Replace hateful thoughts with loving thoughts.
Replace mean thoughts with kind, gentle thoughts.
Controlling our thoughts can be hard. We don’t have to try to control our thoughts by ourselves. Jesus will help us. Give your life to Jesus. Let Him control your life, including your thoughts. He will help you to recognize bad thoughts and help you replace those bad thoughts with good thoughts.
Don’t wait! Ask today. God is eager to help you think carefully. Remember, “With every step you take, think about what the Lord wants, and he will help you go the right way” (Proverbs 3:6).
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, fill my mind with thoughts that please you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now the ball is in your court. Take the next step in controlling your thoughts by putting more of God’s word into your mind. Click on the logo, download the Inductive Bible Study guide, and dig deeper into Philippians 4:8 so that you can have a better understanding of the kinds of thoughts God wants you to have filling your mind.