"3 For though we live in the body,[b] we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,[c] 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly,[d] but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (Emphasis added).
Sorry it's been so long! I'm back.
The end of the semester is approaching. Between studying, completing projects, and trying to cram in last-minute hang out time sessions, life has really picked up the pace. I noticed something this week, though, that really bothers me. Whenever I get busy with life, I tend to let my spiritual guard down.
A specific event jarred me to this realization. A couple of days ago, I was going along just fine. Suddenly, out of "nowhere" I had a flood of very unloving thoughts about a specific brother in Christ. At first, I relented and allowed my mind to devour these thoughts, like a glutton stuffing his face into a poisoned pie. Quickly, though, Christ shook me to my senses with a What-In-The-World-Are-You-Doing sense of conviction. There was no reason for these thoughts. This wasn't righteous anger or passion for justice. This was annoyance that escalated dangerously fast. It was scary.
In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul was speaking about defending the gospel message against "high-minded" arguments and taking thoughts captive for Christ. However, in this case, it was my own selfish thoughts that needed capturing. If I let my natural flesh run free, I would run out of the boundaries that the King established for my own good. I would run out of the safety zone and right into the hands of an enemy that seeks to devour. All because I let one little thought out of the protective limits of Christ.
Praise God for mercy, grace, and forgiveness! God is faithful and just to forgive those that seek forgiveness through faith in Christ. That relationship changes us forever, and it is powerful even to change the thoughts that would otherwise ruin our relationship with God.
God has been teaching me a lot about love lately. (1 John 3:18-20. It's challenging, but the true love of God is deeply satisfying). Whenever I experienced firsthand the misery of hate, even for just a moment, I was pointed to the freedom found in the love of Christ. It's the ultimate juxtaposition: Hate vs. Love. The depravity of the one highlights the peace and fulfillment of the other. Hallelujah that God is Love! Take every thought captive for Christ. It's worth the price.
