The Power of Thinking
Did you know that thoughts can actually make you more anxious, happy, fearful, or content? And what you spend time thinking about has the power to affect your emotions, your actions, and ultimately, your character? Your thoughts are some of the most powerful things about you.
Scripture has a lot to say about our thoughts because God knows the power of our minds. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep our hearts in perfect peace if we keep our minds fixed on Him.
Can you imagine that? Perfect peace.
The more time we spend focusing our thoughts on God and His Word, the more our hearts will be kept in peace. That is a powerful thought, especially in a world that is constantly looking for peace and unity.
The starting point for this peace is trusting God. We must come to Him trusting in who He is, and having faith in what He has done for us. We know that God is good and just. So if we have faith in Him, we know that we are accepted and loved by Him. And those who trust in God are given access to Him and His presence.
Perfect peace is available to those who consistently trust in God, and fix their thoughts on Him.
How many of your thoughts are spent on things relating to God? Do you keep your mind focused on Him when you’re feeling anxious or stressed? What are some simple ways you can continue to remind yourself to think about God throughout your day?
Spend some time thinking about the power of your own thoughts and the access you’ve been given to God through Scripture. Commit to building the habit of centering your thoughts on God so that you can experience His perfect peace.
A Gift Worth Receiving
After Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for almost four decades, the religious Jews were angry with Him. This may seem strange, because healing is a good thing, but Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath—the day of rest. In the Old Testament, God gave believers a long list of rules to follow in order to stay right with Him, and these rules included honoring the Sabbath.
But in the New Testament, Jesus was sent to change our relationship with the Father. By sacrificing Himself on the cross, He gave us access to a relationship with God—so that long list of rules was no longer needed. Throughout Jesus' life, He shows people the nature of this new relationship. But because it didn’t line up with what the religious establishment believed, they were angry with Him.
In John 5, Jesus justifies these changes through revealing His true authority. By calling God His Father, He shared that He was equal to God. This angered the religious Jews, but it gives us a ...