If it’s Not working, Let Jesus Help YOU change!
Can you even imagine how much of a game changer it would be if, as you drove the kids to soccer, did laundry, walked to third period, led a staff meeting, ran on the treadmill,or waited to fall asleep, you allowed into your mind “only the best thoughts, not the worst thoughts; the beautiful thoughts, not the ugly” (Phil. 4:8 MSG)?
Would you even recognize the peace-filled person you would become if you did this? Having thoughts like these can happen, and Jesus wants to help you have more thoughts like these so that your life can become fixed and you can get closer to what God wants you to have.
It’s okay, intrusive thoughts happen.
A study back in the 1980s revealed that people have on average 500 intrusive thoughts every 16 hours, each lasting an average of 14 seconds.
Many of these intrusions are just worries or anxious thoughts; 18 percent are mean, unacceptable, or politically incorrect—and 13 percent are ugly or downright shocking: shoving a stranger off the subway platform, running over a pedestrian, stabbing a partner, raping or strangling someone, smothering an elderly parent, or driving your car off a bridge.
That amounts to 116 minutes a day of some sort of unwanted, unwelcome, unhelpful thoughts stealing our joy and neutralizing our effectiveness. Having bad unmanaged thoughts, is like having all of the inmates that have been locked up in jail for committing horrendous crimes, running loose to do whatever they want, whenever they want. It is not good, therefore Jesus wants to help you fix this.
Let Jesus Help YOU Manage Your thoughts
To be clear, the problem isn’t that these thoughts show up.
The problem is that these thoughts are showing up and existing and they are unmanaged. An old saying warns us that you can’t stop birds from flying around your head, but you don’t have to let them build a nest in your hair. This is why it is so essential to install a checkpoint in your mind. Without such a filter, you risk two hours of thoughts sneaking through and causing untold amounts of terror and damage to your peace and your God-given power.
When you force each thought to go through this screening before you allow it to remain, you can take back control from fear, shame, jealousy, guilt, and doubt. You’ll find that being so alert to what you’re thinking will have a huge impact on your emotions. It may be hard for you to do this in your own strength, so Jesus offers to help you. Would you like Jesus to help you?
Remember, you can change the way you feel by changing the way you think. Where the head goes the body must follow.
Remember, the Bible states that it is with the mind that you serve God, so of course, the devil is going to do his best to fill your mind with untamed thoughts that depress you, discourage you, derail you or try and make you lose your faith and your hope in God and your faith and hope in Jesus. You don’t have to succumb to this evil pattern of dysfunction anymore, Jesus wants to help you fix this.
Understand that your thought patterns are like city trains.
My friend Kevin Gerald likes to say that “thoughts are like trains—they take you somewhere.” So, let Jesus help you create thoughts that take you some where better, some place new, some place in line with God’s plans and purposes for your life.
Activate your power to choose different thoughts.
When a train of thought shows up, don’t just get on! If you have trouble managing your thoughts, repeat this prayer every time you need to, Jesus, please help me manage my thoughts.
Additionally, Ask each thought when it comes:
Where are you taking me?
Ask your thoughts, Are we headed to Lovelyville, Virtuetown, Good Report Station? Boomsauce! Are you trying to depress me, discourage me, or distract me?
Wait, this train is going to Jealousy, USA? Rage City? Gossip Central?
To change your thoughts, say to them, I’m sorry, I’m just not comfortable going where you are headed. Unlike Lisa Simpson, I don’t choose you! I want my thoughts to be holy, pure, and I want my thoughts to honor God.
When you do this when bad thoughts show up in your mind, tThis is an obvious strategy when you’re staring down a shocking or a perverted thought. Thoughts of murder, for example, can pretty quickly be spotted as trains you don’t want to get on.
The point is, you have a choice.
Take thoughts captive, and don’t get on board.
You can avoid a train that’s headed to a dangerous destination by not boarding it in the first place. What do you do when you identify a thought that doesn’t pass inspection?
The same thing TSA would do to you if the X-ray Machine showed a weapon in your carry-on:
You take it captive.
Detain it.
Don’t let it into your mind for a minute.
Show it no mercy.
Send that thought to the pit of despair.
Don’t be kind. Remember, this is war, don’t let your thoughts take control, give your thoughts to Christ,
let Him control what you can’t.
– Written by Levi Lusko & Evangelist Wendy Evans
Let Christ Fix your thoughts!
Bad and unmanaged thoughts I’ve found are the cause of so so many problems and so many bad things happening. Choose to be different, allow Christ to come in your life and help you take control of any unmanaged thoughts that might be trying to take you down the road of miserableville. Your lot in life will change when you partner with Christ and allow Him to teach you how to manage your thoughts.
Repeat this simple prayer, Dear Jesus, I am sorry for my sins, please forgive me, I am a sinner in need of your saving Grace, I have unmanaged thoughts, and I need your help to fix this. I invite you dear Jesus to come in my life and take control, take control of my mind, my emotions and show me what I need to do to have better thoughts, clearer thoughts, good thoughts, and pure thoughts. Let me follow you wherever you may lead me and help me honor God with my thoughts, so that I may serve God with purity and faithfulness, and so that I can become all that God has created me to become, it is in your name, I ask and pray. Amen
-Evangelist Wendy Evans
