What’s on Your Mind?  

On average, in a typical day a person has 50,000 thoughts. That breaks down to roughly 2,100 thoughts every hour or one thought every 1.5 seconds. What are those thoughts about? The things people think about the most, in no particular order, include:

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• Self—Plans, feelings, achievements, failures, hopes, how others perceive you, challenges you face or what you’d like to change about yourself
• Worries and concerns—About relationships, work, family, health or things that will likely never happen
• Future plans—Vacations, home improvements, educational opportunities, financial security and corresponding worries and concerns
• Problem-solving—Menu planning, family budgeting, work deadlines, school projects, car pool issues, errands, lessons and activities, car repairs and other problems that need solution
• Emotionally-driven subjects—Relationships, potential or actual conflicts, social interactions, happiness (and why it’s elusive), grief, anger, regret, unfulfilled dreams, etc.
• Daydreams—Fantasies, comebacks left unsaid, wishing for other opportunities or thinking through potential future interactions

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Do these sound familiar? If these are your mind’s default thought settings, it’s easy to see why many people today report anxiety, fear, frustration and hopelessness as their primary emotions. Add to all this the nonstop distraction of electronic screens, and our minds quickly become filled with thoughts, words, images and ideas that draw us away from God’s best for our lives.

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The great news is you don’t have to wonder what to think about. Almighty God offers a prescription for your thoughts in the Bible. He delivers His solution for a peaceful mind through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul most likely wrote this letter while in a Roman jail, chained to his guards. The conditions weren’t pleasant. If anyone had things to worry about, it was Paul. Yet amid those circumstances, he wrote to the believers in Philippi:

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 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” (Philippians 4:4–8 NIV).

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Paul shared with Christ followers—then and now—the path to peace: Cultivate a spirit of rejoicing. Don’t worry, but instead pray about what is worrying you, doing so with a grateful spirit. Lastly, he outlined what believers should think about: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Fill your mind with thoughts of these things, and, as verse 9 promises, “the God of peace will be with you” (NIV).

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Paul’s instruction echoes Jesus’ own teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear … But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:25, 33 NIV).

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What the Bible Says About Thoughts

In modern life, we consider the heart as the seat of emotions, with the head being where thoughts originate. But the Bible doesn’t separate emotions and thoughts. Instead it unites them, putting them in the same place. It’s Almighty God’s way of showing us that thoughts and feelings go together.

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In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word most often translated as “mind” is actually the word for “heart.” This word refers to the beating heart in your chest, as well as the place where you think and feel. In the days of Noah, God brought judgment because He saw that the thoughts of every man’s “heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5 ESV). In Matthew 15:19 NIV, Jesus said that “out of the heart come evil thoughts.”

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After healing the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof into the room where He was teaching, Jesus asked the Pharisees (religious leaders), “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” (Luke 5:22 NIV). Hebrews 4:12 NKJV speaks of the “thoughts and intents of the heart.”

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Understanding that the Bible considers the heart as a place where thoughts originate gives greater weight to the instructions of Proverbs 4:23 NIV: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

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When we guard our hearts, or thoughts, and keep them focused on the Lord, He gives us peace. Isaiah 26:3 NLT shares, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.” Scripture clearly lays out the link between what we think and how we feel. This connection between thoughts and feelings underscores the importance of choosing what to think about. It is the difference between living in peace and living in a state of constant worry, anxiety or fear.

Where Do Thoughts Come From?

Made in the image of the Most High God, you are composed of three parts: body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You are a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body. Thoughts and feelings “live” in your soul.

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When you choose to believe who Jesus is—perfect Son of God, who died on the cross, carrying your burden of sin, rising again after three days and now interceding for you in heaven—the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your spirit. The Apostle Paul called the Holy Spirit the “seal of salvation” (Ephesians 1:13–14). In the moment you trusted God’s plan for salvation through Jesus, the Most High God forgave your sins, and you became justified in His sight. That means He sees you through the blood of Jesus and His work of salvation on the cross. You can say it’s “just as if I’d never sinned.” That’s justification.

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But even though the Holy Spirit lives in you, some patterns in your thinking (your soul) don’t fully agree with or obey the Lord God and His teachings. Those old patterns and ways of thinking still produce thoughts. They might be lies you believe about yourself (I’m a failure, no one likes me), or they could be thought patterns that have become entrenched through experiences and emotions (through a process called neuroplasticity).

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Thoughts also come from your body’s physical senses through your interaction with the world around you. Hearing a song on the radio, playing a video game, listening to a podcast, scanning your favorite online news or talking with friends all create thoughts. These thoughts may contain truth or lies, depending on their original sources and whether or not they’re based on a godly foundation.

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This illustrates the principle of GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out. What you put into your mind influences and feeds your thoughts, which is why the Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

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Satan and the Mind

Some people say the mind is Satan’s playground, because it’s where he can exert influence. If we follow his lead, it can cause us to sin through word and deed as illustrated throughout Scripture.

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• Judas—“It was during supper, when the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son” (John 13:2 AMP).
• Ananias and Sapphira—“Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?’” (Acts 5:3 AMP).
• King David—“Satan decided to cause trouble for Israel by making David think it was a good idea to find out how many people there were in Israel and Judah” (1 Chronicles 21:1 CEV)
• Eve—“But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV).

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In all these instances, the Bible makes it clear that Satan impacted the minds and thoughts of the individuals. We can’t exactly discern between the thoughts or desires Satan adds to our minds and the thoughts or desires developed by our own sinful nature. But we do know our sinfulness provides an open door to Satan. Think of sin as a welcome mat that beckons the devil to stop by. Satan can lead us astray and corrupt our thoughts, distorting them and turning them against the Lord and toward sin.

Your Amazing, Agile Brain

You don’t need to focus on thinking. Your brain constantly revs up thoughts, but you can choose what to think about. As a matter of fact, what you think about shapes and changes your brain. That’s a concept known as neuroplasticity, which means every single thought changes your brain by reprogramming brain cells.

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By choosing what you think about, you set yourself up for future success, resilience, hope or despair. Studies involving prisoners of war show that individuals who chose to focus on positive thoughts—thinking about the end of the conflict or remembering those back home praying for them—came out of their suffering with overall better mental and emotional health. By resisting hopelessness, they later bounced back more effectively.

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Almighty God knows your brain can change. Could that be why He commands believers to think differently than the world? Read Romans 12:2 in several translations:

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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV).

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“Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him” (CEV).

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“Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect” (ERV).

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“ … Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out …” (MSG).

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If your heavenly Father wants you to think differently, then you can trust He will give you the tools and instructions on how to do that. It’s all in the Bible, God’s instruction manual.

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How to Renew Your Mind

‍‍In Romans 12:2, the Most High God shares that a Christ follower should “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The Greek word for “renewal” is used just one other time in the New Testament: “[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 ESV).

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Scripture clearly reveals that the work of renewal is done by the Holy Spirit in us. We cannot renew our minds on our own. We must look to the Holy Spirit, depending on Him and His leadership. Every activity or effort we make must follow His enabling and prompting.

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In the work of mind renewal, the Holy Spirit follows two paths: from the outside in and from the inside out. From the outside in, He works to expose our minds to Christ-exalting truth by leading us to read the Bible, listen to Christ-focused music, study Christ-centered writings or hear Bible-based preaching and teaching. The Holy Spirit also nudges us to develop community with other Christ followers who will, in turn, help us to focus on Jesus Christ.

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From the inside out, the Holy Spirit must break our hard hearts, which blind and corrupt our minds. This is revealed in Ephesians 4:17–18 ESV: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” This inside-out work of the Holy Spirit turns a hard heart into a humble heart, a heart that is teachable, tender to the whispers of the Most High God and filled with love for the Lord God more than self.

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The ultimate goal of a renewed mind is that we use our whole being—body, mind and spirit—to live a life of worship to display the absolute worth of Almighty God (Romans 12:1–2). 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV expresses it this way: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

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As we meditate upon the glory of Jesus Christ and God’s amazing plan of redemption, we are transformed into the image of Christ, displaying His perfect love and amazing glory to the world around us. The fruit of a mind renewal is a life of pure worship that showcases the beauty and glory of Christ Jesus.

Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts

According to research, nearly everyone experiences intrusive thoughts. These disruptive, distressing or annoying thoughts appear out of nowhere and quickly derail prayer time or Bible reading. They might be violent, blasphemous, sexual or simply very dark or negative thoughts.

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The trick to dealing with uninvited thoughts is simply to let them pass. Don’t attach meaning to them. They don’t define you. If you belong to the Most High God, only He defines you. When you experience an unwanted thought, let it drift on by, like a leaf in a river. Don’t “pick it up” by focusing on it, but let it move away as you consciously choose to think on the task at hand. Or meditate on the glories of Christ, the gift of salvation, your morning devotional, a treasured Scripture or a favorite hymn.

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If the thoughts are blasphemous, cursing God Almighty, don’t let Satan tempt you into believing you have committed the unpardonable sin. This verse might make you think that: “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32 NKJV).

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It’s important to read a Bible verse in context. In this instance, Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders (Pharisees). They could clearly see that the Holy Spirit was working through Jesus as He performed miracles and fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. But they still chose to call these works of God evil.

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Consider all of Scripture to comfort yourself that intrusive thoughts aren’t unforgivable. The Bible clearly shows that nothing exceeds the forgiveness Jesus Christ delivered through his death on the cross. The Apostle Paul provides a great example of the power of God’s forgiveness. He went from killing Christians to preaching Christ. (You’ll find this amazing story in the book of Acts.)

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How to Defeat Unwanted Thoughts

Christ followers often respond so strongly to intrusive thoughts because the thoughts usually bring shame, one of Satan’s greatest tools. Shame, the first emotion mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 2:25–3:10), is frequently used by Satan to trap believers in a cycle of guilt and condemnation.

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Almighty God has given us the tools to defeat unwanted thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NKJV says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into to the obedience of Christ.”

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What does this look like in practice?

1. When you have an intrusive thought, if you’re able, let it drift by unnoticed. It’s like a bird flying over your head. You don’t have to let it make a nest in your hair.
2. If the thought persists, stop and identify it. What are you saying to yourself ? Are you allowing it to identify you in some way? Write those things down.
3. Record any feelings created by the thought. How are you responding to these emotions? Do not withdraw and isolate. Cry out to God and ask for His help.
4. Dig into Scripture to see what God says. Make a chart showing the identity and feeling stirred up by the thought, then find a Bible verse that reveals Almighty God’s thoughts about you. For instance, maybe you’re condemning yourself for having the thought. A scriptural truth to record would be Romans 8:1 NKJV, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Immerse yourself in this true identity by memorizing this and other verses. When intrusive thoughts come, use scriptural truth to refute them, just as Jesus used Scripture to defeat the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13).

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Spiritual Disciplines for a Renewed Mind

Christ followers have performed the following spiritual disciplines since the beginning of the Early Church. Jesus Himself practiced these disciplines during His life on earth. Devoting yourself to these activities helps you become more like Christ and changes the way you think, renewing your mind. The more you follow these disciplines, the more your brain physically changes through neuroplasticity, creating new neural pathways.

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Bible reading. Devote time daily to reading the Bible. Choose a simple, easy-to-follow plan. Read a chapter of Psalms or Proverbs each day. Select an online Bible reading plan or find a devotional that explores a Scripture passage each day. Look for a Bible-reading plan for reading both New and Old Testament passages each day. Start small, aiming for 15 minutes a day. Soon you’ll want to read more.

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Prayer. Take time each morning and before bedtime to commune with Almighty God. It’s also a good idea to pray during the day. Before you turn on the car radio or pick up your phone, connect with God. See what’s on His mind. Don’t forget to pray in the Spirit—in your prayer language or tongues. It will build up your inner spirit and keep the demons guessing about what’s really on your mind.

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Worship. Cultivate a heart of worship and praise by opening and closing your days with worship music, psalms, hymns or whatever musical form inspires your heart (Ephesians 5:18–20, Psalm 100). Listen to music that focuses on God’s truth, the character of Christ and the wisdom of the Scriptures.

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Grateful heart. Keep a prayer journal where you note what to pray for and how/when God answers that prayer. Journaling helps you focus on God’s provision, as well as His character. When God answers prayer, you’ll learn about His faithfulness, wisdom, mercy, loving-kindness and forgiveness. Focus on what God has done, and you’ll be less likely to worry and fret about other circumstances.

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Confession of sin. Regularly confess any sin to Almighty God and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Confessing sin reveals a heart tender toward God and your desire to obey. If you have a trusted, Christ-following friend, consider confessing sin to them for accountability and healing (James 5:16).

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Fasting and prayer. Imitate the life of Christ Jesus by embracing times of fasting and prayer (Luke 4:1–13). This might be the answer to eradicating particularly persistent thoughts or thinking patterns you can’t escape. Use Scripture throughout your time of fasting to build up your spirit and defeat temptations.

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Community with believers. Set your mind and will to participate in church activities. Find a church where you can grow spiritually; contribute your time, talent and treasure; and serve others with the love and truth of the Gospel (Hebrews 10:24–25).

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What to Think About

Set a goal to make room for God in your thoughts. If you don’t make room for Him, you push Him out of your mind. There is no middle ground. Use Philippians 4:8 as a litmus test for your thoughts, measuring what you think about against Almighty God’s standards of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. If a thought doesn’t measure up, cast it down. Try these ideas to jump-start your mind renewal.

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• Reflect on the last sermon you heard—in person or online—that moved your spirit.
• Fantasize about what your town, county or country would look like if true Holy Spirit-breathed revival occurred.
• Meditate on a passage of Scripture that the Holy Spirit draws you to study.
• Think about a world where people care for each other and do the right things because they see the image of God in one another. That’s a form of justice that honors the Most High God and reflects His Word.
• Explore the historical writings and lives of great men and women of God. Ponder their experiences, their unswerving faith and their prayers.
• Dream about how God can use the gifts and talents He’s given you.
• Entertain thoughts of desire for your spouse. That’s a holy thing and a good goal to pursue.
• Imagine if a broken relationship in your life was restored. The Most High God may let your thoughts lead to actual reconciliation and forgiveness.
• Above all, anchor your thoughts on Jesus—His life, His words, His sacrifice, His prayers for you. Meditate on His perfection and His glory.