By Howard Eyrich
Editor’s Note: I’m so grateful to share with you this recent requested submission by Howard Eyrich. Using a very touching story, he helps us think through taking our thoughts captive. You will appreciate his coming alongside you today. This will bless and help you.
Our Reality
A friend told me about a peer. The C-19 lockdown very quickly destroyed her business which required close contact with vulnerable populations. Her company was new with no reserve assets. She tended to be “a-glass-is-half-empty” person, and quickly spun into despair.
This combination is a recipe for the downward spiral: disappoint, discouragement, desperation, depression, despair followed by death (from giving up to suicide). To interdict this spiral one must accept responsibility for one’s thinking; the God-given ability to exercise control over your thoughts. Are you willing to admit you can, with God’s help, take control of your thoughts?
Challenge
Trials test us and reveal where we are both week in faith and the implementation of His prescriptions (James 1:2-4). We must change our thinking to have lasting change of behavior. Instead of focusing outward behavior, transforming the mind through disciplining it by meditation on God’s Word is essential. Engage with God to transform our experience by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2).
Think through ideas rather than impulsively and blindly pursing them. When experiencing difficult challenges, we must not think ourselves into despair… “I’ll never do anything right?” We must use the God-created capacity enhanced by the indwelling Holy Spirit to think our way out of your shame, despair, hopelessness, and anger.
Our Prescription
Take disabling thoughts captive through confession. Paul urges “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Confront your disabling thoughts. Subject them to True Truth[1] and become who He sees you can be. It takes work to take your thoughts captive (Eph 2:10). But it is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Choose to focus thoughts on the right things. Paul says dwell on the “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable” (Phil 4:8). When we think about these things, God promises to give us His peace. What a contrast to the thoughts of millions of people today. Don’t look for a pill or a formula to accomplish this. It takes personal discipline and commitment.
Our Hope
It is possible, but not easy to retrain our thoughts and respond in new Christ-like ways. Take heart! As God empowers it will become easier. Life with brighten. We can develop a new frame of reference, based on what is true, noble, right, etc.
It is possible to live a life aware of our thoughts and to be taking them captive! Remember, you are not alone, though it may feel like it. God gave us the Holy Spirit (comforter, advocate, helper) to empower us. Start following this pathway today to gain power over your mind and thoughts and become more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37).
Dr. Howard is married to Pam, has two adult children, and eight grandchildren. He currently teaches, is an elder, and serves as a board member of the International Association of Biblical Counselors and a fellow in the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. He has served multiple congregations as a church planter, senior pastor, and elder. He has authored multiple books and articles. Over the years, he served working on the staff of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation as Counselor and Director of Curriculum Development, the first Executive Director of then the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (now ACBC), and has led multiple training programs in seminaries and churches. He currently serves as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program in Biblical Counseling at Birmingham Theological Seminary.
In addition, God has allowed me to be his friend.
[1] A termed coined by the late Francis Schaeffer in The Go Wo Is There to refer to the objective truth of God over against the relative ever-changing truth of man. Schaeffer predicted Post Modernism’s idea the “your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth”.
Image Credit Engin Akyurt
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