TRAIN THAT BRAIN

We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (GW)

Have you ever played racquetball? I rarely win because I can never tell where the ball will go. By the time I think it’s headed in one direction, it has already bounced off two walls and is somewhere else!

Many people’s thought lives are like that, going in a thousand different directions at once. However, to meditate and allow God’s Word to sink in, we need to shut out distractions and focus. How do we do that? We follow the wisdom found in today’s verse and discipline our minds by taking distracting thoughts captive.

Now, that involves work and isn’t always easy. It reminds me of videos I’ve watched of police officers trying to apprehend somebody who didn’t want to submit. I remember seeing one where several officers were trying to arrest a violent, drunken lady. They were sweating and exhausted. The woman had ripped one officer’s shirt and bitten another. She scratched a third on the face as they tried to wrestle her to the ground.

Your thought life may be the same sometimes. It can fight against being taken captive! But without discipline, your brain will feel scattered and unable to concentrate, so you need to train it. That means actively practicing ways to change and maintain your focus.

There are many approaches, so if one way doesn’t work for you, try something else. But don’t passively allow the enemy to constantly distract your mind and keep you from meditating in the Word. Begin to take meandering thoughts captive. Your mind is the entry point for the Word, and it’s a vital key to transforming your life! (Romans 12:2)

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