Good Thinking

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: Good Thinking------------------------------ Date: 1/31/2003
Keywords: “thoughts”
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: 2 Corinthians 10:5*

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Questions

1. Which areas of thought do you need to take captive?

 

2. When your mind is free to roam, where do your thoughts go?

 

Practical help

Temptation to sexual impurity, including the temptation to click into cyber porn, starts in our thoughts. This verse urges us to take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. The time to do it is as soon as we recognize the tempting thought is beginning to press us for a decision to act.

The difficulty comes for us in that habitual porn use etches impure patterns of thought into our minds. Images lusted over in the past, flash back into our memories and thoughts, making it even tougher to resist. We need to work on replacing the impure thoughts that come into the mind with those that are pure and Christ honoring. Here’s the standard for our thought life:

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. — Philippians 4:8*
Suggestions for getting started:
  1. Remember the death of Jesus on the cross for your sins.
  2. Remember the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.
  3. Meditate on small portions of scripture pertaining to your new identity as a child of God. (Write it on a note card and carry it with you.)
  4. Memorize select verses of Scripture. (Again, use a note card.)
  5. Call a close friend and ask him/her to pray for you right there on the phone.
Taking our impure thoughts captive can be done. The old patterns of thinking, etched into our minds by porn use can be changed to new Christ honoring patterns of thought. Don’t forget to lean on the Lord Jesus and depend upon Him for help and grace. You may have some set backs along the way, but keep pressing ahead.
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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."