THOUGHTS OF THE MIND
THINK ABOUT THIS
Job 37:14 Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. (KJV)
1 Samuel 12:24 Consider what great things he has done for you.
Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Note: Christ encountered many difficulties with people, but endured them with patience. He was an example for us to consider, handling things spiritually with divine power, divine viewpoint, and a divine plan. We tend to handle things carnally, with human energy, limited human viewpoint, and human goals resulting in defeat and discouragement.
Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Psalms 1:2 His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
DON’T LET YOUR MIND PLAY TRICKS ON YOU
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (KJV) Note: Some imaginations are like strong holds—deeply engrained flawed thought patterns, triggering almost knee-jerk sinful reactions, and creating vicious mental cycles. Other imaginations include “wish-fulfillment” fantasies that actually involve cleverly disguised covetousness and complaint against God, hiding the incredible thought that if we were God, we could have handled things better (better circumstances, better gifts, etc.)
THE THOUGHTS OF GOD
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (KJV)
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
1 Corinthians 2:16 For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
SPIRIT VERSES FLESH
Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Ephesians 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Note: The sorrow of the spiritual mind will lead to both repentance and the fruit of the Spirit. But the fleshly mind produces woeful and obsessive pondering over past mistakes resulting in a root of bitterness and despair.
Romans 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
RENEWING YOUR MIND
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Note: Along with Romans 8:6, these verses indicate that being conformed to the world is a mental state, a mind-set that we can escape from by the graceful provision of a renewed mind with Godly attitudes.
Proverbs 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Note: This would include the “inner speech” of the mind.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Note: The “sober” mind is one that thinks straight and is right minded.
Hebrews 12:1 Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Note: Bothersome thoughts can be weights…as in “it weighed heavily on his mind.”
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Note: Depression over the past shows that we are depending on our record of “goodness” as a source of self-esteem. We will always fall short if we measure ourselves in this short-sighted way. It is a prideful record that depends on human works. It is not the soul-searching of humility that depends on grace.
PRAYERS FOR ACCEPTABLE THOUGHTS
Psalms 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalms 104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Note: “Stayed” means “to lean upon, take hold of, bear up, be established or upheld, to be sustained.” …whose mind is leaning upon God, taking hold of God, upheld by God, established by God, sustained by God.