Taking Control of Our Thoughts– Dr. Charles Stanley

In Touch Ministries2 minutes read

Controlling our thoughts is crucial for living a godly life, as our mind influences our responses and choices. The text emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between love and lust, highlighting the need to align thoughts with godly values for a fulfilling and purposeful life.

Insights

  • Our thoughts have a significant impact on our life, relationships, decisions, and achievements, shaping our current state and responses to circumstances, emphasizing the importance of controlling and aligning them with godly principles.
  • Distinguishing between love and lust is crucial, as love is selfless and sacrificial, while lust is selfish and destructive, requiring obedience to God's commands and a continuous focus on godly things to combat sinful desires and maintain purity.

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Recent questions

  • How do our thoughts impact our lives?

    Our thoughts shape our decisions, relationships, and achievements. They act as the control tower of our life, influencing our responses to circumstances. The Bible states that our current state is a result of our past thoughts. Controlling our thoughts is crucial for a fulfilling life and a relationship with God.

  • What influences our thoughts negatively?

    The media we consume, including TV programs, can influence our thoughts negatively. It is essential to be mindful of the content we expose ourselves to as it can impact our thought patterns and beliefs.

  • How can we control our thoughts?

    Understanding our relationship with Jesus is fundamental to controlling our thoughts. By questioning the origin, impact, and alignment of our thoughts with Scripture, we can take steps towards controlling them. Sharing our thoughts with others and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit can also aid in controlling our thought patterns.

  • What is the difference between love and lust?

    Love is selfless, sacrificial, and focused on giving, while lust is selfish, focused on personal gratification, and leads to destructive consequences. Love is pure and leads to development, while lust is sinful and destructive, causing unrest and anxiety. It is crucial to distinguish between the two and choose to align with godly principles.

  • Why is it important to align our thoughts with godly values?

    Aligning our thoughts with godly values is crucial for a fulfilling life. The consequences of our thoughts manifest in visible outcomes, emphasizing the need to think in accordance with our faith and values. By continually seeking and setting our minds on godly things, we can combat temptations and sinful desires, leading to a life of purity and obedience to God's Word.

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Summary

00:00

Power of Thoughts in Living for God

  • Thinking God's thoughts is powerful and crucial for living as God desires.
  • Our thoughts shape our life, decisions, relationships, and achievements.
  • Our mind is the control tower of our life, influencing our responses to circumstances.
  • Our current state is a result of our past thoughts, as the Bible states.
  • Controlling our thoughts is essential for a fulfilling life and a relationship with God.
  • The media we consume, including TV programs, can influence our thoughts negatively.
  • Setting our minds on spiritual things above is emphasized for a godly life.
  • Understanding our relationship with Jesus is fundamental to controlling our thoughts.
  • Satan can deceive and blind minds, hindering the perception of truth.
  • A reprobate mind is one that chooses to indulge in sin despite knowing it is against God's will.

16:03

"Power of Thoughts: Shaping Life Through Faith"

  • A man shared his experiences of being in the service in another country for about three years, where he indulged in various activities that haunt him in his current ministry.
  • He emphasized the lasting impact of thoughts on the mind, stating that even forgotten thoughts can resurface unexpectedly, shaping one's life.
  • The man highlighted the power of the mind in influencing one's life, suggesting that changing negative thoughts is possible through the Holy Spirit's help.
  • He stressed the importance of controlling thoughts by questioning their origin, impact, and alignment with Scripture, as well as sharing them with others.
  • The man encouraged self-reflection on the consequences of thoughts, urging individuals to consider where their thoughts lead and whether they align with their identity as followers of Jesus.
  • He discussed the role of the Holy Spirit in enabling individuals to think righteously and make positive choices in line with their faith.
  • Practical steps to control thoughts included accepting, expressing, wrestling with, or denying them, with the goal of aligning thoughts with godly principles.
  • The man advised asking impactful questions to guide thought processes, such as considering the destination of thoughts and their scriptural acceptability.
  • He highlighted the significance of unseen thoughts manifesting in visible consequences, emphasizing the need to align thoughts with godly values for a fulfilling life.
  • The man underscored the responsibility individuals have in shaping their lives through their thought patterns, urging them to think in accordance with their faith and values.

31:48

"Love vs. Lust: Divine Blessing vs. Destructive Desires"

  • Love and lust originate from different sources: love is a divine blessing, while lust stems from worldly desires.
  • Lust is characterized by uncontrolled desire, leading to destructive consequences.
  • Love is selfless and sacrificial, while lust is selfish and focused on personal gratification.
  • Genuine love requires sacrifice and giving, contrasting the misconception of "free love" which is associated with destructive behaviors like drug abuse.
  • Love is about giving, while lust is about taking and selfish desires.
  • Love is pure and leads to development, while lust is sinful and destructive, causing anxiety and unrest.
  • Choosing to obey God's commands is crucial in distinguishing between love and lust, as it guides one towards a godly life.
  • Continually seeking and setting one's mind on godly things is emphasized as a lifestyle choice to combat temptations and sinful desires.
  • Putting to death immoral thoughts and desires is essential in maintaining purity and obedience to God's Word.
  • Allowing the Word of God to richly dwell within oneself, extravagantly filling the mind and heart, is vital for making wise decisions and living a pure life.

48:31

"Choosing Wisely: Reaping Consequences, Shaping Future"

  • Consequences of sin are emphasized, with the idea that actions today will have repercussions tomorrow, based on the principle of reaping what is sown. The importance of aligning one's thoughts and decisions with positive, truthful, and wise choices is highlighted to shape a better future.
  • The text stresses the significance of making decisions that align with God's truth and wisdom, steering away from the deceitful promises of Satan. It underscores the need to choose a path of righteousness, seeking forgiveness, guidance, and transformation through faith in Jesus Christ to live a fulfilling and purposeful life.
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