Scripture supports this conviction. “For as [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7 NKJV). Therefore, it is best to reprogram our minds to ruminate and seek the thought process of God and His way of life.
One problem: other voices compete, becoming entrenched in our minds. When I was growing up, the music in our house often came from a record player. The device featured a turntable, along with an arm with a stylus that contained a needle that picked up music from a vinyl recording. Usually, the record player worked fine, but periodically, its needle got stuck on the record, and the same refrain would repeat over and over from the recording we were playing. I remember the needle getting stuck once on one of my father’s favorite Guy Lombardo records, “Enjoy Yourself.” Things went fine through most of the recording, but when it reached the song’s refrain, “Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think,” the needle got stuck, and the last phrase of the chorus started to repeat over and over again: “It’s later than you think. It’s later than you think. It’s later than you think.”
If we’re candid, a similar refrain gets stuck in our being on too many occasions. Rather than a repetitive hopeful thought, dreary notions all too often get stuck in our heads and hearts, recurring over and over again. But we’re called to interrupt the drone of such negativity with a gospel word of goodness, allowing God’s sentiment to reverberate continually in the core of our person.
There are multiple summaries of the Lord’s outlook, including the broad refrain of the gospel, which can’t be repeated enough: Jesus rescues! But beyond that sweeping truth, we must also repeat the gospel’s manifold truth, echoing the particulars of Christian insight. One listing is voiced by the apostle Paul in Philippians 4: “focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise” (v. 8 CEB).
One prominent expression of true, holy, just, pure, lovely, praise-worthy thought is forgiveness. When we forgive, we fill our minds with graceful thought. When we don’t forgive, we fill our minds with resentful thought. The difference in outcomes is striking. While researching forgiveness at the University of Pennsylvania, speaker/trainer Kathi Norman discovered that those who were forgiving experienced overall health, well-being, and life longevity, whereas those not forgiving experienced “increased anxiety, depression, elevated blood pressure, vascular resistance, decreased immune response, and worse outcomes in coronary artery disease.”
It’s not surprising, then, that the theme of thought-control runs throughout Scripture. It’s especially striking in the teaching of the apostle Paul as he reminds the church at Corinth: “Our battle is to bring down every deceptive fantasy and every . . . defence that [persons] erect against the true knowledge of God. We even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ” (2 Cor 10:4–5 PHILLIPS).
The etymology of the word capture means to subjugate, to bring under control. In one instance, it refers to taking a prisoner of war into custody (Eph 4:8). In sum, the overall drift of “capture” is to win a battle; in the context of 2 Corinthians 10:4–5, it’s a battle for our very psyche, by seizing and dominating devilish thoughts, imprisoning them within the logic of Jesus.
In doing so, we strive for more of the intellect of the Savior, seeking, in the words of the apostle Paul, to “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5). The result is a rising “yes” perspective, in Christ, that reflects a growing conviction of the Almighty’s wisdom, rather than being controlled by fretful thought or circumstance.
Central Presbyterian Church, where my wife, Robin, serves on staff in Baltimore, is filled with compassionate, Christ-guided people. When our family faced a significant crisis, we were reeling, reaching for people to support us amid unthinkable injury. Friends at Central were some of the first individuals we contacted. One Central saint was especially effective in her empathy and conviction. As we poured out our hearts to her, she listened well and reflected prayerfully; but then declared her faith passionately: “God’s got this!”
In doing so, she entered our painful moment sensitively, but then called us to be captive to God rather than restless considerations. As she did, our Central friend reminded us that we can’t avoid injury, but we can avoid falling victim to a despairing mindset that so easily wells up in disappointing episodes. Shifting mental gears is a process, and far from easy, but a necessary step in becoming aligned with the Savior’s logic.
It’s wise for us to shift gears. So, align with the Savior’s logic and release a despairing mindset. Let a “yes” outlook arise within—taking every thought captive, in Christ!
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