It is often said, “Your thoughts are free,” meaning that you can think what you want, since no one can hear or see your thoughts, and no one except yourself can change your thoughts. But is that real freedom?
My personal experience was that many of my thoughts were thoughts that I didn’t want to think. My thoughts were controlling me. I wanted to get rid of them, but I didn’t know how.
I prayed to God for help. My friends also prayed for me. And very soon I got the answer:
I read 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIRV) and understood these verses in a new way, "The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy. I destroy every claim and every reason that keeps people from knowing God. I keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ."
Power to control my thoughts
This new way of thinking came from God. It gave me power to control my thoughts. Now I can choose if I allow a thought to stay in my head or not. The choice is mine! If an unwelcome or bad thought comes into my mind, I don’t need to let it stay there, but I can say No to it! I can ”keep it under control in order to make it obey Christ”.
I once heard at a church service that all thoughts that don’t lead to hope or faith are not of God. God’s thoughts for me are full of hope. So then I can throw out each thought that does not lead to hope. I need to be awake so that I stay the "boss" in my head. God gives me the power to do this when I ask Him for help.
Since I started doing this, I stopped feeling helpless. My peace and joy grow every day. I can say, as is written in Psalm 40:2-3 (GNT), "He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure. He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the Lord."