This past Sunday, I was listening to Marsha Johnson teach a ladies Sunday school class. I actually knew ahead of time the subject she would be teaching on. She had shared with me that she was teaching on focus. My initial thought was, “I don’t have trouble with focus, I believe God is my focus most of the time.” I was wrong.
I didn’t realize I was wrong until I heard her make this powerful and profound statement.
She said, “Whatever you focus on becomes the controlling factor that will guide your life.”
I began to think of the things I had been thinking about lately. The challenges. The symptoms. The thoughts that run through my head. I realized in that moment that these things we the controlling factor that were guiding my life.
I must say, I have peace most of the time. However, sometimes when I lie down at night, thoughts run through my head. Or I will have a symptom of something, and my mind begins to wonder. There are times, although I hate to admit it, that these things become the controlling factor in my life. They tend to rule my day.
As I thought about her teaching and how God was speaking to me through it, I remembered something God said to me years ago.
“Wondering is wavering. Wavering is doubt. Doubt is sin.”
I was also reminded of my granddaughter, Brailee. She is an equestrian. When she is riding a horse that will not follow her lead or do what she says, she makes that horse go around and around in circles, until it listens. She does not allow him to continue disobeying; she brings him into submission.
We must do the same thing. We cannot allow the enemy to control our thoughts. We can’t allow the thoughts that do not align with God’s plan to continue to dominate our minds. That’s where it all begins. The controlling factor begins to be birthed in our mind when we allow negative or ungodly thoughts to go unchecked.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor 10:4-6)
The Amplified says it like this:
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.
I think the key here is getting rid of arguments, theories and reasonings.
Are there thoughts in your mind that don’t agree with the word of God? That argue with what God is saying? Are there theories or reasonings that the enemy is constantly bombarding your mind with? If it does not line up with God’s word, it does not belong in your mind. If it doesn’t belong to God – it doesn’t belong to you.
So what do we do?
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (Is 26:3, Amp)
One translation says:
Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you. I just love that! Perfect, ABSOLUTE peace surrounds those whose imaginations are CONSUMED with You, Lord!!!
I may not know what your controlling thoughts are but this I do know, if we choose to cast down every imagination that does not align with Gods word and allow our imagination to be consumed with God, we will have absolute peace daily. Think about that, my friend, ABSOLUTE PEACE daily.
I don’t know about you but that sounds like a good plan to me.
