Thoughts Come And Go

I got thinking about this yesterday, so I thought I would do something with it today.  This is something a pastor told me years ago and I have never forgotten it.  Maybe this will help someone with their thought life.  Did you ever think of something and kick yourself, so to speak, because you never thought that, that thought would ever enter your mind being a committed believer, and it just seemed to hound you?  I know I used to be plagued by things that would come to my mind and it would really bother me.  I would wonder why a committed believer would ever think these things.

As time went on it must have bothered me so much that I went to my pastor at the time to ask him about what was going on.  I had come out of a messed-up life; partying, drugs, alcohol and motorcycles and everything that went with that lifestyle, and I had been in that lifestyle for years.  Then I had a radical and life changing experience with the Lord, and I was set free of most of the things that I had been doing.  I was so excited by the deliverance and the radical change in my life, and what the Lord had done and what He was doing, I had a hard time believing what was happening in my life and so did many others.  

But there were times that thoughts would come to my mind that really bothered me.  For instance, I would pray sincerely for different people and when I got done, I realized that I didn’t like some of the people at all that I was praying for.  As time went on these thoughts subsided and I started to have a better attitude towards the people I prayed for.  But then there were other thoughts that came that were bothering me and I didn’t understand why they would even be there.  I had a terrible temper for a long period of time that had pretty much subsided and I was doing what I thought was very well, considering the lifestyle I lived for so many years and I was so thankful.  

But regardless it seemed like no matter how many times I prayed or how much these thoughts bothered me they kept coming, so, like I said I went to my pastor at the time and asked him about them and he gave me a very simple answer, which I hope will help everyone in this situation.  Now remember this, this was many years ago so to my recollection this is what he said, ‘thoughts come and go, and you can’t control them, it’s like a bird flying over your head, you can’t stop them, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.’  In other words, you can’t help the thoughts that come to your mind, that is not the sin, the sin comes when you act on the thought, depending on what thought comes to the mind.

Let’s say you are in a store and you see something you would really like to have

but you can’t afford it, and the thought crosses your mind to steal it, but you dismiss that thought quickly and go on your way.  Did you commit the sin?  No, I don’t think so.  But on the other hand, if you reached out and took it, that would be stealing, which is definitely a sin.  The thought may bother you that it would have even entered your mind, but that is what I would call temptation, which I would say is not sin if you didn’t respond to it.  It is when we act on the temptation that we are guilty of sin.

Jesus said this in Matthew 5:27-29, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that everyone who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away! It is better for you that one part of your body should be destroyed, than that your whole body be thrown into Gehenna.”   Jesus didn’t say that you couldn’t look at a woman, we would all have to be blind.  He said if you look at a woman to lust after her then the act of adultery has been committed, which is the sin.

Be very careful which thoughts you choose to entertain.  And don’t forget the enemy of your soul, who is out to destroy your life!!  Please read 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah— ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”

Whenever a negative thought comes into your mind, anything you don’t want in your heart, do what those verses say and nip them before they bud, yes before they take root and bud fruit in your heart.  This will help, be sure to study the Word and hide it in your heart that you might not sin against the Lord!!  When Jesus confronted the enemy in the wilderness, what did He do?  He responded by quoting scriptures and He never yielded to sin, He defeated the enemy, praise the Lord!!  I think you got the message.

I hope this has been a help and a blessing to you and that the good Lord will bless you and yours with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness and may you all have a super day!! If you haven’t already today, I hope you won’t forget to thank and praise the Lord, for He is worthy!!