How does the Spirit of God change us? He enrolls us in the University of Godly Thought. Little by little, day by day, year by year, he creates a new person!

We learn to:

• Take thoughts captive
• Test each message against the truth of Scripture
• Interrupt poisonous thought threads before they infect us
• Think and act like Jesus

Does this appeal to you? More faith, less fear? More grace, less guilt? More love, less lust? More security, less insecurity? It is yours for the asking.

Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Remember who you are! You aren’t just anyone; you are a covenant partner with God, a full-fledged member of his kingdom development program.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

God has pledged to remake you by changing the way you think. He has equipped you to tame your thoughts.

Being a disciple comes down to letting God change the way we live by changing the way we think. Good actions follow good thoughts. Behavior takes its cue from beliefs. If our belief is wrong, our behavior will be wrong. But, if our belief is godly, our behavior will be godly.

Let God lead you. Pray specific prayers about your specific thought patterns. Identify the tendencies that steal your joy and pilfer your peace. Take them to Christ like you would take a broken chair to a carpenter. “Can you please fix this?”

Psalm 139:23-24 ESV Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Christ has a grand dream for you, my friend. He is shaping you into an image of one worthy of walking the streets of heaven. And it all begins with a simple choice: Tame your thoughts; think about what you think about.

I hope you will.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me the ability to retrain my brain. Thank you for equipping me to tame my thoughts and change my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Giant-sized challenges are won not with bigger biceps but with better thought management. Your mindset is your most valuable tool. It’s time to screen thoughts, interrupt thoughts, extract and replace thoughts. And I know just the fellow to help us.

God called him “a man after my own heart” in Acts 13:22. Such words were never said about Abraham or Moses. Paul was called an apostle; John was called “beloved”—but never “a man after God’s own heart.” God crowned only David with this title. Why? What was unique about this son of Jesse? A case can be made for this answer. He made this six-word motto his mantra: “The battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47).

1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

What giant seeks to liposuction the life out of your life? Does he come in the form of a disease? Is he wearing the garb of debt? Or defeat, one put-down after another? Is it time for you to use some thought management tools?

Psalm 34:17-20 ESV When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

David resolved to shift his gaze away from the mess that surrounded him and focus on the God who sustained him. He meditated on God’s works. Maybe he made a list of miracles. Counted his blessings. Recalled God’s goodness. He took thoughts of death captive and replaced them with thoughts of life.

Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings. Thoughts of faith create feelings of hope. Be God-minded! Meditate on him.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, bring me peace when I am overwhelmed. Thank you for hearing my cries no matter where I am or what overwhelming giant I am facing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The joy Jesus offers is unlike the one promised at the car dealership or shopping mall. He is not interested in a joy that depends upon circumstance.

Did his joy hinge on the approval of others? No, even his family didn’t believe in him. Did his joy depend upon possessions? He didn’t even have a place to lay his head. Was his joy based on the loyalty of people? Peter denied him. Judas betrayed him. The Romans murdered him. Yet, “for the joy set before him he endured the cross”.

Jesus enjoyed a resilient joy.

What about you? Have you buried a dream? Have you buried a marriage? Buried a friend? As you look at these burial plots of life, is your joy buried there as well?

If so, you may have anchored your vessel of joy to the wrong place.

During my single years, I lived on a houseboat that was docked on the Miami River. The water level would rise and fall with the tide. The boat would rock back and forth with the river traffic. But though the river changed and the boat rocked, we never drifted. The boat was anchored to a concrete wall.

Courageously joyful people have done something similar. They have tethered their hearts to the foundation of God.

Is that to say your life will be storm-free? No. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV).

Is that to say no sorrow will come your way? No. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).

Is that to say you will never cross the drylands of sorrow? No. But that is to say your sorrow will not last forever. “Your sorrow will be turned into joy” (John 16:20b NKJV).

The boat will rock. Moods will come and go. But will you be left adrift on the Atlantic of despair? No, for you have found a joy that remains courageous through the storm.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, Help me anchor my soul in Jesus and find complete joy. Thank you for your constant guidance. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sometimes God calms the storm.

He excises the malignant cancer, transfers the cranky boss, replenishes the diminishing funds. The breath of heaven blows, the clouds scatter, and the winter sky becomes a springtime blue.

Sometimes he calms the storm. Other times, however, he chooses to calm the child.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

Rather than quiet the tempest, he stills the sailor. Rather than remove the disease, he removes the fear. Rather than lift the debt, he lifts the doubt. The storm still brews, the wind still blows, but the child no longer frets; he trusts. He may even snooze.

Matthew 6:27 ESV And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Anxiety happens when we think the world is spinning out of control. The untruth deceives us into believing that the problem has no solution. The consequential false narrative says, “My life is nothing but a maelstrom of messes.” An overreaction chimes in with a Chicken Little squawk of, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

Be on the alert for this downward spiral. Disarm these thoughts the moment they begin to grouse. Rather than heed them, heed him. Anxiety is calmed when we talk to the one in charge.

No storm ever hit harder than the one that raged through Gethsemane’s garden. And no prayer was ever prayed with more passion than the one Jesus prayed on the eve of his death. “Can you calm the storm?” Jesus asked. God did for Moses. God did for Daniel. God would do so for Paul and Silas. Could he not do the same for his own Son?

Of course he could. But he chose not to. The cross was part of God’s plan to redeem his children. God did not calm the storm. But our Father calmed his Son. And Jesus marched to Calvary in peace. A heaven-sent, illogical, stare-death-in-the-face-with-a-smile peace.

Philippians 4:4-8 ESV Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I pray God calms your storm. If he does not, may he calm you. And may you find the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 ESV).

Prayer

Dear God, You have promised perfect peace to those who focus on you. When I battle anxiety, help me keep my thoughts on you. Help me uproot the weed of anxiety and replant with your joy.

Romans 8:5-8 ESV For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Thoughts. We cannot see them. We cannot buy them. We cannot always predict them. But we cannot deny this about them: They define our lives. Think well, live well. Think poorly, live poorly.

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Are your days ever so gloomy? You can change that.

Perpetually anxious? Abundant peace is an option.

Heavied by regrets? Your past need not define your future.

Hounded by inner critics? You can defang those voices in your head.

You can tame your thoughts! A new “you” will appear as new thoughts begin to emerge.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. – Proverbs 4:23 ESV

Search “thought management” on the internet, and you will find a Pacific Ocean of answers—magazine articles, TED Talks, podcasts, blogs, and books. They explore meditation, medication, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Better your brain by running more, eating right, sleeping longer, taking supplements, reading Lucado books. (Who added that last one?)

There’s a lot to wade through. I seek neither to promote nor debunk these treatments. I prefer to focus on three tools, an ancient trio of strategies that I know well, and I know work well. Call them what you wish: Thought management 101. Your mental tool kit. Mental floss. However you tag them, they make a difference—a huge difference.

The Tool Kit

• Practice Picky Thinking. Guard your thoughts.
• Identify UFOs. An Untruth (U) creates a False narrative (F) that leads to an Overreaction (O).
• Uproot and Replant. Weed out your most unhealthy thought patterns and replace them with divine truth.

Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

These tools will empower you to think clearly and rightly. Sometimes all three are needed. At other times just one or two will suffice. Either way, these tools will rescue you from the quicksand of ungovernable thoughts.

With God as your helper, you will discover a new way of thinking.

Prayer

Dear Father, please guide me in using the tools Max presented. Help me know how to guard my thoughts, identify untruths that lead to false narratives and overreactions, weed out unhealthy thoughts, and replace them with your truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Divine Blessings

Genesis 22:15-18 ESV And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Obedience brings divine blessings and strengthens our faith. After Abraham’s act of obedience, God blessed him and promised to multiply his descendants as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. This blessing extended beyond Abraham to all nations through his offspring. Abraham’s obedience had far-reaching effects, fulfilling God’s promises and impacting generations to come.

Refined by Trials

1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7 reminds us that trials refine our faith and bring glory to God. Obedience during difficult times is a testament to our faith and commitment to God. Just as Abraham’s obedience resulted in blessings that impacted generations, our obedience is not just about us. It’s about the generations in our families, along with the families of the people we are called to lead and serve. The trials we face serve to strengthen our faith and prepare us for greater blessings.

The Journey and Impact of Obedience

We know obedience is a journey that often involves trials and challenges. However, these trials refine our faith and bring us closer to God. When we remain obedient, we open the door to God’s wisdom and blessings in our lives. Abraham’s story teaches us that the blessings of obedience extend beyond our immediate circumstances. Our obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in God.

Pray this Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the blessings that come with obedience. Instead of focusing on the gift, help me focus on the Gift-Giver. Help me to remain faithful and obedient to you, even in trials. May my life be a testament to Your goodness and faithfulness, bringing glory to Your name. Thank you for all You have done, are doing, and will do in the days to come. You sit on the highest throne where You will always remain. Amen. Your Practical Action Step:

Reflect on the blessings that have come from your past acts of obedience. Write them down as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and mercy. Reach out to a friend or family member to encourage them to reflect on the blessings from their own journey of obedience.

Aligning with God’s Will

Genesis 22:10-12 ESV Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

The purpose of obedience is to align our lives with God’s divine will and purpose. Abraham’s obedience on Mount Moriah demonstrated his reverence and respect for God. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac showed that he trusted God’s plan completely, even when he couldn’t see the outcome. This act of faith was not just about following a command, but about aligning his will with God’s greater purpose.

Staying Focused on God’s Mission

Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Proverbs 4:25-26 encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on God’s path and avoid distractions. Obedience helps us stay focused on God’s mission for our lives, ensuring that we do not deviate from His divine course. When Abraham lifted his hand to sacrifice Isaac, he was fully committed to God’s will, trusting that God would provide. This moment of obedience, even in the face of immense personal sacrifice, revealed Abraham’s unwavering faith in, focus on, and devotion to God.

The Outcome of Obedience

In our lives, obedience serves a similar purpose. It helps keep us focused on His plans and prevents us from being swayed by distractions. Let’s remember:

• Abraham’s story reveals that obedience is a daily commitment to trust in God’s guidance and provision, even when the path is unclear.
• Just as God provided a ram in place of Isaac, He will provide for us when we commit to following His will.
• Our obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in God, and it opens the door for His blessings and guidance in our lives.
• By aligning our lives with God’s will, we stay on His path and fulfill His purposes for us.

Pray this Prayer:

Lord, help me to stay focused on Your path and avoid the fiery darts of the enemy and other distractions intended to prevent us from standing confidently on Your living word. Teach me to trust in your provision and obey your commands, even when the way is unclear. Strengthen my faith and help me to live a life that honors You. Amen.

Your Practical Action Step:

Reflect on areas where you may be distracted or deviating from God’s path. Identify one specific distraction and make a plan to remove it from your life. Commit to spending time in prayer and scripture daily, asking God to help you stay focused on His will and purpose for your life.