Take Every Thought Captive

Take Every Thought Captive

“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.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

Circumstances were happening to me this week that made me start muttering under my breath. I began having negative thoughts that I shouldn’t towards other people. All of it made me not like myself too much. I think we all have those days or weeks. That is when God dropped “Take every thought captive” into my mind. The next part of the verse made me stop in my shoes even more “to the obedience of Christ”. So not only are we supposed to take every thought captive, but we are supposed to do it to the obedience of Christ. Wow!

My mind would start to go towards negative thoughts or feelings and I would remind myself to “take every thought captive”.  How that changed my thinking and how that changed my peace.  I have a feeling that if we “took every thought captive” that we would have less stress, less anxiety, less depression, less anger & less annoyance in our lives. Because, when I took every thought captive, that is what happened to me. All those negative feelings were replaced with compassion, grace, mercy, hope, peace & love. When I began to take every thought captive, it changed my perspective and when my perspective changed, the atmosphere around me began changing too.  

If you did that, how would it change the atmosphere around you and the atmosphere in you? What would it look like if we “took every thought captive” in every situation.  Whether it be with our spouse, with our kids, with people at your workplace, or even with the people you share the road with or are shopping around you? 

The atmosphere would definitely change in your home, in your workplace, and everywhere you went. And when your atmosphere changes from being self-focused to being God focused, it allows for the Spirit of the Lord to be all around. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And oh how I felt freedom, I went from muttering negative thoughts & having negative feelings to saying “get behind me satan, your not welcome here”! So lets claim freedom right now, any thoughts that you are having that don’t align to God’s word, lets take them captive to the obedience of Christ and see what He does in and around you. 

Still Finding Peace

Still Finding Peace

“You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, 

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Isaiah 26:3 NLT”

So many of us ladies have hopes and dreams for our lives.  When we don't see those hopes and dreams being fulfilled, we begin to worry, fear, stress, and our hearts begin to break.  We even begin to question God.  At a worship night in May, I was at a breaking point and God placed a dear friend beside me to speak to my heart.  She gave me a word. Peace. She reminded me that I needed to have peace. 

She gave me a hug and reminded me of Gods love for me. She reminded me that I needed to have confidence in God.  That I needed to claim peace over all the worry, fear, stress and heart break.  I would like to say that there was an instantaneous peace and that the worry, fear, stress & heart ache went away. But, that didn't happen. I am still finding peace.  What did happen though was it sent me on a journey. It is a daily journey for me.  Seeking out God, Being Still in His Presence and Trusting in God and His goodness.  

I am so thankful to my friend for being obedient to God and speaking into my heart.  That encounter didn't change my circumstances, but it changed my perspective. When my perspective changed, it allowed for God to begin stirring my heart and opening doors of communication between Him & I. I wouldn't trade any of that for the world. 

At a women’s conference a couple weeks ago a song was sung called Peace Be Still. It wrecked me instantly.  The whole song is amazing, but this part really stuck with me

“I'm not gonna be afraid 'Cause these waves are only waves

I'm not gonna be afraid, I’m not gonna be afraid

I'm not gonna fear the storm, You are greater than it's roar

I'm not gonna fear the storm, Oh, I'm not gonna fear at all, yeah

Peace be still Say the word and I will

Set my feet upon the sea Till I'm dancing in the deep, oh

Peace be still You are here so it is well

Even when my eyes can't see

I will trust the voice that speaks”

Ladies, this world is full of storms and each of our storms look different. Please don’t allow your storms to take your peace away.  Let God change your perspective and day by day allow peace back into your life.

Release My Feet

Release My Feet

“My eyes are ever on the Lord, 

for only he will release my feet from the snare.”

Psalms 25:15

Who struggles with their past creeping up on them? Whether things have been done to you or by you, they always seem to creep back into your life. When they do, they tend to make you feel insufficient and begin stealing your joy! That is when your mind begins rehearsing all the wrongs and all the struggles. It becomes so toxic that you begin making up your mind in advance that things will never change and those wrongs and struggles will always be there! God can’t work through unwillingness of you to lay matters aside.

This can be so heavy on you emotionally and mentally. There are days that you feel strong enough to handle it and carry it. But, some days you can’t handle the weight, you have to let someone else remove the weight from your shoulders. Look to God. If you can’t see Him, then you need to look harder and be silent longer. There are things He wants to tell you and show you. When you are focused on your insufficiency, God will never be sufficient enough.

It comes to a point in your struggle that you begin to have a “pop up” answer for everything and anything that tries to encourage you. I call them “pop up” answers because they are the responses you have etched in your brain over the years. They are the responses that keep you in your snare. You think you have escaped the snare, for it only to keep popping back up and you getting trapped again and again. You need to allow God to release you from the snare once and for all. There is always a way for God. Look for it. Seek it. I don’t know about you, but there is nothing impossible with my God. He shows himself strong everyday. Look for it.

Ladies, lets end this struggle once and for all! We have the power! God is with us, fighting for us. We don’t have to keep rehearsing the past. We don’t need to continue being sucked up into negativity and self doubt. We don't need to continually be getting caught in the snare. You have the power with God in you to change things around you. You just have to be willing.

Repeat after me!!!! “ I HAVE THE POWER WITH GOD IN ME TO CHANGE, CONQUER & WIN IN THIS SITUATION! I JUST HAVE TO BE WILLING. LORD, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE HARD! I AM WILLING & I SURRENDER THIS TO YOU. IT MIGHT BE AN HOURLY SURRENDER, BUT IM IN THIS WITH YOU. I TRUST YOU GOD AND WILL GO STEP BY STEP WITH YOU AS MY GUIDE.