06/20/2026
Matt's Thoughts - 6.19.2026 - Thinking About Thinking - #2
Someone has said, “We either take our thoughts captive, or our thoughts take us captive.” Another version of the same idea is “Whatever gets your mind gets you.”
Most of the battles people face are not external battles but mental battles. Battles that happen in our minds. Strong, resilient mental health does not just happen; it requires attention, discipline, and practice – lots of practice.
The Apostle Peter told the followers of Jesus to “… prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control.” 1 Peter 1:13 (NLT) The NIV translates the verse “minds that are alert and fully sober.” Having minds that are alert and prepared for action takes work. A large part of the work is controlling what we think about.
When I was a kid, there was a large field behind our house. My brother and I, and some others in the neighborhood, would go treasure hunting there. We were convinced that there was buried treasure in that field. We would dig holes and pile the dirt. To my mom’s dismay, we took a window screen from the house out into the field and used it to sift the dirt looking for that elusive gold coin or long-buried jewel. As we shook the screen and rubbed the clods through it (ruining the screen, sorry mom!) dirt would drop through the screen, leaving behind rocks and other debris too big to go through.
Controlling what we allow into our minds and what we allow to remain in our minds requires sifting. It’s like putting all the thoughts through a window screen, and if they won’t fit through, those thoughts must be rejected and discarded.
The Apostle Paul described the sifting screen for thoughts. “… dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
Think about Paul’s list as the screen thoughts should be sifted through. The thoughts that go through the screen must be true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. If the thought makes it through that screening, let it stay. If the thought doesn’t pass through, reject it. Don’t give rejected thoughts time or energy.
This is what Paul means when he writes, “change the way you think.” Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Begin today! Sift your thoughts, if they don’t pass the screening, throw them away and replace them with a thought that is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable!
Matt
