Sometimes The Thoughts In My Head Get So Bored…

…they go out for a stroll through my mouth. This is rarely a good thing.

This quote that the thoughts in my head get so bored that they take a stroll through my mouth is meant to give a chuckle. However, a lack of control over our thoughts and speech isn’t funny when it causes us to think and say things that are harmful to ourselves and others.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

Prior to becoming a Christian, I had little control over the thoughts in my head and my speech. My thoughts controlled me and consequently, I said and did many hurtful things that I’ve since asked God and others to forgive.

But, since becoming a Christian, God has taught me that I don’t have to entertain every thought or speak every idle word. I can ask the Holy Spirit to help me to think right thoughts and choose right words to speak.

In all honesty, it’s still a struggle and I am definitely a work in progress.

I have discovered that it’s usually when thoughts in my head get bored and wander that I can get into trouble. In fact, I’m often surprised when I take the time to think about my thoughts.

But, both you and I can change with God’s help. The Holy Spirit can govern our thoughts and the result is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 says,

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (NIV)

Christians are in a battle for our minds and in addition to the Holy Spirit, God has given us specific tools to help us with our thoughts.

Ephesians 6:17-18 says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (NIV)

When we focus our thoughts on the good news of our salvation in Christ we can protect our minds and think right thoughts.

Fighting temptation using the sword of the Spirit or the Word of God helps to defeat the enemy. We have the example of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) when He said, “It is written” and then He used an appropriate Bible verse to combat temptation.

It is also vitally important to pray for protection against the temptation of the flesh, the world and the devil.

Also, we need to cooperate with God in the process of renewing our minds to think right thoughts, as Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”(NKJV)

God helps us to renew our minds as we spend time reading, meditating and memorizing Scripture. 

Further, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”(NIV)

I can be proactive by taking control of intrusive and unwanted thoughts and making the thoughts in my head obedient to Christ.

The Bible lists the right thoughts for us to think about in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (NIV)

In addition to thinking right thoughts, it is equally important to choose the right words to speak.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV)

Our words are powerful and we can speak life to others.

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”(NIV)

Our words can build others up and benefit them as well.

Do you struggle with your thoughts?

Do you sometimes say things that you regret?

Your comments are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Sometimes the thoughts in my head get so bored they go out for a stroll through my mouth. | CLICK TO TWEET

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• 3 Steps to Get the Help You Need Today

• Video vlog: The Wilderness Gardens Mill, the Scriptures and the Spirit

• How to Rely More on the Spirit for Life and Ministry

• How to Renew Your Mind and Think More Positively

• 5 Keys that Help Unlock the Mystery of the Trinity

• 4 Ways to Find Contentment Now

• Five Ways to Conquer Complaining and Find Happiness Now

• How to Practice Christian Meditation

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

How Biblical Thought Replacement Creates Time And Energy

It’s much better than mere “positive thinking".

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Biblical thought replacement is how I describe taking my sour thoughts and replacing them with biblical promises and assurances. For example, when I’m feeling unable to meet the needs of life, family, ministry, etc., I replace my incapable thoughts with biblical thoughts such as “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13). Or, when life begins to get me down, I remember to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).

The powerful aspect of these spiritual pep talks is that they’re not just empty bromides or nice thoughts, they’re from God’s Holy Word, the Bible. I can count on them!

As mentioned in the title of this article, doing this gives me more time and more energy.

Here’s how biblical thought replacement gives time and energy:

1. I don’t waste so much time and energy in worry, fretting and anxiety.

Worry, fretting and anxiety can be a huge time drain. For some, worry is a hobby—a pastime they seem to enjoy. But it is a very expensive hobby. It robs the worrier of time and energy. It can even rob us of our health.

When tempted to worry, I love to remember “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

I’m not saying that I do biblical thought replacement faithfully and perfectly all the time. I’m also not saying that I understand exactly how “all things work together for good.” Sometimes it seems impossible for good to come from difficult experiences.

But I believe the promise because it is God’s word, not just pie-in-the-sky hopeful thinking.

The goal is not to hide our heads in the sand. We must not simply avoid problems. The goal is not to worry and instead to determine a plan of action to resolve issues, if there is anything we can do.

If there is nothing I can do, then I try to simply rest in God’s promise that “all things work together for good.”

2. Less time and energy is wasted in conflicts and broken relationships.

So much time and energy is absorbed by conflicts, arguments and the resulting broken relationships. We can save much time and energy through biblical thought replacement about relationships and conflict.

To do so, we need to understand where conflicts come from. The book of James answers that question:

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:1-2 NLT)

So, it says that conflict comes from “evil desires” and envy. The antidote then is to replace these with humility, generosity and a servant attitude.

When tempted to be prideful, stingy and want others to serve me, I try to remember Scriptures like these:

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10 ESV)

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV)

“Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” (Mark 9:35 GW)

3. Positive emotions create more energy.

The better we feel emotionally, the more energy we have, emotionally as well as physically and even spiritually.

Think about it. When do you have the most energy:

• When you’re feeling joyful, grateful, hopeful, capable, loved?

• Or, when you feel ungrateful, hopeless, incapable and unloved?

The answer is obvious.

So, to help us feel these positive emotions, we can practice biblical thought replacement from the Bible. For example:

• We can replace joylessness with this: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4 ESV)

• We can replace ungratefulness with this: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

Search the Bible and find verses that are special to you. An easy way to do that is to use a simple internet search like this: “Bible verses on ______________.” When I did a Google search for ““Bible verses on joy” it came up with 701,000 web pages! The top 3 were:

• Joy Bible Verses

• 21 Bible Verses About Joy

• 36 Verses About Joy

Each of these is an excellent listing of Bible verses on the topic. Perfect!

Has biblical thought replacement helped you? I’d love to hear about it. You can leave a comment below.

Your thoughts are welcome! Please leave your comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• Faith Means Acting When You Feel Inadequate

• How to Tackle a Mountain-Sized Goal in Faith

• How Reluctant Leaders Become Confident Achievers for God

• 4 Characteristics in the Attitude of a Winner, Part 17 Biblical Christian Mantras I Find Helpful

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth

Biblical Thought Replacement Creates Time and Energy | CLICK TO TWEET

You Are Never Too Old To Set Another Goal

…or to dream a new dream.

This quote by C. S. Lewis is so encouraging for those of us, myself included, who have more birthdays behind us than before us. Indeed, we are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream as long as we are alive.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

As I write this article, I can’t think of a better example of never too old to set new goals or dream new dreams than my mother. She committed her life to Christ 5 years ago, shortly after the passing of her husband. Since then, God has changed her life and she is a woman making up for lost time.

She has traveled to the Holy Land, helped plant a new church, served in multiple ministries, participated in Bible studies, made hundreds of new friends, attended prayer meetings and volunteered wherever she is needed. This week as she turns 80 years old, she shows no signs of slowing down as she prepares to leave in a few weeks to go on her first missionary trip to Panama!

We are never too old to set another goal and to dream a new dream.

As Psalm 92:14 says,

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,” (NIV)

The Bible says that believers can still bear fruit in old age. 

By God’s grace, we have made great progress in the fields of science and medicine. We also have access to more information, products and procedures to help us hopefully live longer and enjoy better health as well.  

In addition, we are never too old to set new goals and dream new dreams because God is not limited by age.

Exodus 7:7 says, “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.” (NIV)

Luke 2:36-37 says, “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” (NIV)

We are never too old to seek God’s purpose for our lives and to use our resources for His glory.

We can serve God and others by:

• Volunteering

• Serving at church

• Mentoring young people

• Investing in the lives of our grandchildren

• Praying for others

We can pass on to others the valuable life skills that we have acquired.

Job 12:12 says, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (NIV)

Younger people may have time on their side, but older people have the benefits of greater:

• Understanding

• Insight

• Discernment

• Wisdom

• Knowledge

• Experience

Do you agree that you are never too old to set new goals and dream new dreams?

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. | CLICK TO TWEET

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• 5 Reasons Getting Older is Awesome!

• Podcast: How can I age gracefully and productively to the glory of God?

• Hungry for Heaven

• How Moving is Like Going to Heaven

• How to Prepare for Eternity Now and Face Death with Confidence Later

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth