How serious is God about the way we think? He is determined enough to inspire the Apostle Paul to proclaim, “We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5, NASB). Captive? Yes, captive. We are to take our thoughts and bring them under the full control of Jesus. Actual obedience does not just automatically happen. We Christians are commanded to be proactive, by forcing our thoughts into submission to Christ.
Let’s be real. Our thoughts can sometimes tend to run wildly. Flashing into my mind like strikes of lightning come angry, fearful, greedy, and selfish thoughts. By the power of God’s Spirit in me, I have the ability to grab those lightning bolts and tell them to submit to Jesus before they ignite a fire of disobedience lived out in the flesh. This is my responsibility – to get deliberate about apprehending my brainwork. For, my outward actions are a direct result of either my obedience or disobedience to this very command. Our behavior is rooted in the life of our minds. Hence, Jesus needs first to be Lord of my mind in order to be the real Master of my behavior.
“What is God’s will for my life?” people often ask. The answer is found not just somewhere down the road, but in each approaching moment. God’s will comes to fruition as we take every thought – one by one – and ensure its submission to Christ. As the day proceeds, this captivity brings results. Allow me to give tangible examples of questions we should be asking in the moments of our hours and days:
-
What is God’s will for the words that proceed from my mouth immediately following an attack on my character?
-
What is God’s will for my participation in Thursday’s staff meeting?
-
What is God’s will for the look on my face when I pass in the hallway the person I like the least?
-
What is God’s will for how I spend the hour of 7-8 pm this evening?
-
What is God’s will for my paycheck?
-
What is God’s will for my conversation at lunch today?
-
What is God’s will for my reaction to the neighbor I find most annoying?
-
What is God’s will for the way I conduct myself while standing in line at the grocery store?
-
What is God’s will for my prayer life today?
-
What is God’s will for my attitude in this very moment as I read this devotion?
Okay, how do our answers to the aforementioned questions look in light of God’s command to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”? Do you see how this works? It is not simply an ethereal directive. The decree has to do with all of life – at each incremental level.
How different could our lives turn out five years down the road if we obeyed this “thought command” each moment until then? Finding God’s will for your life is not as complicated as it seems. It is the outcome of a life lived according to I Corinthians 10:5. If every thought is under the authority of Jesus, then so, too, will the whole life be.