I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; (Isaiah 65:2 NKJV)
Have you ever had company over and they stayed longer than you liked? Maybe you had to go somewhere, or you needed to get to bed early. Our thoughts can do the same thing, wearing out their welcome.
I used to struggle with feeling unaccepted. Well, I still struggle, but not like before. When people begin avoiding you, that plants the thought. I’m unacceptable. Then the thought becomes an emotion: rejection.
When everyone receives an invitation, except me, negative thoughts take root in the fertile soil of my mind. My thoughts scream, “They don’t want anything to do with you.” As long as those thoughts and my feelings of rejection make themselves at home in my head and my heart, I become a victim to them. The same holds true for fear, worry, and stress.
In our focal verse, God says when we walk according to our thoughts, it is not good. As children of God, we must walk by faith, and not our feelings.
Thoughts plant the seeds of emotional strongholds.
In order to walk in victory and not defeat, we must put our thoughts under the microscope of God’s Word. What does it say? Is it a thought that provokes feelings contrary to the Christian lifestyle? If the answer is yes, we must take those thoughts captive and remove them from our minds (2 Cor. 10:5).
What emotions prevent you from a strong faith that lives the abundant life? In order to break free from those strongholds, we must start with our thoughts. Become so keenly aware of your thoughts that as soon as you spot them, you can take immediate action.
Keep your lines of communication open with the Lord, because you cannot do this apart from Him. Prayer and the Word of God play a vital role in conquering emotional bondage. When you use God’s Word and speak to the problem, you’re not just stuffing these feelings down or pretending they don’t exist. You are slashing them with the Sword of the Spirit.
Are you ready to stop living an unsatisfying life? Are you ready to live in the blessings of God? Then start examining your emotions and thoughts. Begin the work of living the life God wants you to live.
Heavenly Father, I have been controlled by my emotions for far too long, walking according to my thoughts, and not by faith. Overrule these thoughts and feelings. Remove them from my mind and heart. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV):
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, ,
HIKING THE TRAIL
Begin with one thought. Once you feel victorious over that one, move on to the next one.
RELATED RESOURCE
My upcoming devotional journal gives you tools to combat shame and other forms of emotional bondage. Until it releases in the fall of 2022, check out Eyes of Faith: Winning the Battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith.
Originally posted on March 25, 2022 @ 3:00 am