Are your thoughts at war?

Many days, I go to bed thinking and wake up thinking.
Thinking.
Thinking.
Thinking.

My mind races with to-dos, should-dos, and, ugh, gotta-dos. I sense a slight panic running alongside ready to jump into my day. Just to be clear, Panic is not my friend and has not been invited, yet he shows up on occasion, waiting for a chance to crash my party.

What to do?

Every choice is mine to make.

In these moments, I have a choice. Choice is always available with options, so it’s up to me to be personally responsible for choosing which thoughts to allow to stick around in my day-to-day life.

Which thought is shutting me down?
Which thought is time-sensitive?
Which thought is outdated or harmful?

Which thought am I giving permission to occupy my mind?

In these moments, my mind is at war.
My thoughts are at war.
An internal struggle is fighting for a deeper presence in my day.

Thoughts are vying to occupy my mind. The questions I must answer are, “Do you recognize this thought? Do you agree with this thought? Do you trust the source of this thought?

Trusting the wrong source sets my course toward destruction.

What to do?

Scripture is my go-to resource for life’s answers. Today, 2 Corinthians fits this need perfectly.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, …” (10:3-5 ESV).

Take each thought captive.
Write down every word battling to be heard.

Create categories to clarify the thoughts, now, later, and toss.

Now gets, anything holding me back from moving forward. These are my must-dos. They are not some of my favorite things, yet I must pay attention to them. For example, I must finish the book proposal a publisher asked for. Ugh.

Later is filled with time-sensitive thoughts. Needs attention this week, this month, or definitely this quarter. Give each a start and completion date. Whew.

Toss receives the bulk of my thoughts. Outdated frustrations from the past, my shoulda, woulda, couldas. Words my Abba would never speak into me, such as, “You can’t,” “Stop trying,” and “What are you thinking (literally).”
No. Consideration. Simply let them go.

What thoughts are at war in your mind?

We are living proof that no one is immune to struggles; therefore, we stand, trusting Father in all things.
The war is not ours to fight.
He who is in us has already won.

Let’s journey together.

Praise You, YHWH.
No thoughts can hold me captive, for You purpose my steps.
You strengthen me with Your Spirit to toss what is not of You.
You calm me with Your peace.
I know You are truth.
Grant me discernment about my thinking to uncover all counterfeit thoughts.
Help me to move beyond all the thoughts holding me back from Your will.
I praise You with my whole being.
Hallelujah. Amen.