A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

Who knows where our thoughts come from. Sure, most are the result of our own intake – what we watch, read, and listen to. But then there are those oddball thoughts. The ones that take us by surprise. In this case, I have had two extremes. 

The first is a thought that I should do something good (give money to a stranger, call a friend, text someone, volunteer to do something, etc.). In many cases, I have known that the thought did not originate with me because, given my own inclinations, I would have never chosen that thing. I often feel that those moments are Spirit led moments. The Holy Spirit is prompting me to do something. I don’t know why or the details, but I know what the action is. 

Then, there are those other thoughts. These, too, “come out of the blue.” However, these are dark thoughts, in the sense of sin. A momentary “what if?” A flash of lust, pride, greed, fear. In even darker moments there are things like “What if I just jerked the wheel and went off this bridge?”

My first reaction to these kind of thoughts is horror, followed quickly by profound relief that no one can read my mind. In fact, I don’t even like touching on them here, admitting that such things come into my head. Yet, I will write this because I am certain that I am not alone. And this is where a friend’s wise words have made such a difference. 

He said to me, “It’s not the first thought that matters.” I was puzzled, and my face showed it. He continued, “It’s the second.” The second thought is what we do with the first thought. Will we dwell on it? Will we follow it to third and fourth thoughts? Will we ruminate and wrestle with it?

If thoughts can come from the Holy Spirit, then perhaps Satan can influence our thoughts as well. In either case, this advice stands firm. Hearing the Holy Spirit is important, but if we shake it off or ignore it, we have accomplished nothing. Thinking of doing something right and good is not enough. What do we do with that impulse? Do we reason our way out of obedience? Or do we give thanks for the opportunity and the nudge to see it? 

The flip side is the dark thoughts that would lead us into sin. What we do with that first thought makes all the difference. Do we call it what it is and lay it at Christ’s feet? Or do we hide it and dwell on it, convinced that it’s ok because it’s “just a thought.” Sometimes, immediate confession is in order. Sometimes, calling to mind scripture is our strongest defense. Brushing it off is not enough. We need a solid response.

Here’s the thing. We all have thoughts – good, bad, and ugly. But when we think about our thinking, then we are able to address them. Every thought that enters our mind is not truth. We need to be able to sift through our thoughts and ideas, testing them against the truth of God and discarding what isn’t worth keeping. 

This is not only true about those intrusive thoughts but also about what we think about others as well as ourselves. For example, if “they are an idiot” has gone through your mind, that’s a thought that needs to be tested against scripture (not your opinion). Likewise, if “I’m so stupid,” has infiltrated your thinking, it too needs to be tested. Each of us have idiotic and stupid moments, but when they become labels we give others and wear ourselves, our thoughts are out of alignment. 

Philippians 4:8 gives us this bar for measuring our thoughts: “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

That’s a high bar. And this post is not to make you feel guilty or ashamed of not hitting it. Rather, I want to encourage you. I want you to understand that your thoughts are not a given. They are changeable. You can take them captive and evaluate their worth. You are not stuck with them. 

A sin ignored doesn’t go away. What you will discover as you begin to practice immediately addressing harmful thoughts is that their hold will begin to slip. The first step in walking away from sin is agreeing with God that it is sin. God doesn’t convict us of sin to make us feel bad and wallow in it. That’s what Satan does. God convicts us of sin to call us out of it to higher things. May this bring you great hope and better equip you for the battle for your mind.

What do you think? Is this a thought worth keeping?

If you found this post enjoyable or thought provoking in any way, please feel free to share it with someone else. My desire is to encourage and challenge others in their own relationships with God.