Beyond the Gospels: Corinthians

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-8

(No Bible handy? Just click on the link to read today's Scripture.)

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.--vs. 5

Webster's defines captive as "taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war."

I wonder how many thoughts one might have in a day. I did a little Internet search just for fun. Most say the average person has fifty to seventy thousand thoughts per day... that's 39-45 thoughts per minute... at least one every two seconds! I had to take a moment with that one. The number seems staggering, and it leaves me wondering how in the world we can take every thought captive. How does that work? I'm sort of thinking it's impossible.

Maybe that is just how God intended it to be. He created our thought life in a way that would be impossible to tame on our own. Taking captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ, only happens when we rely on the Spirit living in us. We think... He whispers His way in our thoughts... and leaves us with a choice.

You've been there before, so have I. A not so great thought enters the mind and sometimes it just seems to stick. We mull it over... moving it 'round and 'round like clothes in a dryer. What would happen if at the moment it enters our mind, the very moment we think it --- we make a choice? The choice to bring it to Jesus... to take it captive to obedience. Imagine making the choice 50,000 times a day.

It all starts with the first one. One thought at a time... one choice at a time. Let's be aware today. Let's notice just one thought and make the choice. Let's take the thought and chain it up... drag it right to the foot of the cross.

Lord Jesus, I commit my thoughts to You.

Continue to remind me that I don't have to keep my mind

set on worries, revenge, lust, greed, envy, anger...

Teach me to take every thought captive

and make it obedient to You.

Finally, brothers, 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.

Philippians 4:8 ESV