A few years ago I was at a football game when a streaker came out of nowhere and went running across the field. The officers guarding the sidelines, watching for this sort of thing, went running to apprehend the fearless flasher. The play had to stop to accommodate the interruption while the guards worked quickly because every second counts – especially on live television. The game is delayed until the suspect is detained.
Our minds play out a similar scenario several times a day. We take on our day ten yards at time, and then an intrusive thought flashes through your mind. It’s intent on distracting you, derailing you, and if it can run far enough, it will completely dismantle you. We go from being productive and making plays to a flag on the field. Everything else stops while the mind spirals. Sometimes these intruders start out as entertaining, even day dreaming, but quickly become all consuming.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says ” We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” We have to be quick to recognize which thoughts are intruders and even quicker to arrest them – because what starts as a scene in your mind becomes a seed in your heart. And we all know what seeds do, they grow. We have to be swift to capture the intruder in our head so it doesn’t get into our heart. We must be aware that there is a very real enemy intent on stealing our time, killing our integrity, and ultimately destroying our lives. One reckless thought at a time. The longer these things play in our minds, the more time it takes away from the game. And that’s it’s goal – to keep you from reaching yours.
We can’t change the first thought but we can take charge of the next one. We have to put rebellious thoughts in their place, which is out of our heads. Tackle your rebellious thoughts as fast as guards tackle streakers. We have to be quick to discern the source and intention of our thoughts and where they’re taking us – towards a penalty or towards the goal post. The play can’t continue until you pivot.
Philippians 4:8 calls us to “fix our thoughts on what is true, honourable, right, pure, and admirable.” Having to fix something implies that it’s broken – and though you may not have been the one to break it, it is your responsibility to fix it. The next verse goes on to say that once we’ve put this level of excellence into practise, then the God of peace will be with us.
What intruders have you allowed to run free in your mind?
What seeds do you need to pull out by the root?
If you don’t direct your thoughts, they will direct you.
Your enemy won’t be able to drag you into the wrong end zone if your eyes are firmly fixed on the one who sits on the throne.
Fierce Faith 