Power of your thoughts

I heard a story (actually several) recently that have changed my life, no exaggeration.  They are simple stories but beneath them lie a very profound Biblical truth. Our minds can make or break us.  What we believe, think, meditate on….we will become.  The Bible says, Proverbs 23:7 As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.

There is a Reader’s Digest story about Nick Sitzman, a strong, young bull-of-a-man, who worked on a train crew.

One midsummer day, the train crew were informed that they could quit an hour early in honor of the foreman's birthday. Accidentally, Nick was locked in a refrigerator boxcar, and the rest of the workmen left the site. Nice panicked.

He banged and shouted until his fists were bloody and his voice was hoarse. No one heard him. Wanting to let his wife and family know exactly what had happened to him, Nick found a knife and began to etch words on the wooden floor. He wrote, "It's so cold, my body is getting numb. If I could just go to sleep. These may be my last words."

The next morning the crew slid open the heavy doors of the boxcar and found Nick dead. An autopsy revealed that every physical sign of his body indicated he had frozen to death.

And yet the refrigeration unit of the car was inoperative, and the temperature inside indicated fifty-five degrees. Nick had killed himself by the power of worry.

Go back and read that story again.  This man died….DIED…by thinking he was freezing to death and therefore he did.  How many times do we worry and obsess our way into a situation.  We let our minds run rampant and to all of the “what if’s” and then slowly it becomes reality.  I’ve done this in the area of finances and weight.  

Job 3:25 says that “the thing I greatly feared has come upon me.”  Now, personally, I don’t feel like this means the second a fear hits you it’s going to happen.  No, what happened was Job was constantly worried his kids.  In fact, he offered sacrifices for them regularly and really it was only to be done once.  This shows Job was acting out of fear, not faith. 

I think about what happens in our minds.  We can let one little tiny nugget of a thought EXPLODE in us.  The Bible warns us to guard our minds.  We have a choice.  We can let that little worry tumble around our minds let it grow bigger and bigger, or we can thrust it out and cast it down.

The Bible warns  in 1 Corinthians 10:5 “… bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”  This very is big.  We have to take every thought captive and fight it with scripture.  Every single thought.   It is vitally important.   The more we entertain thoughts, the more we believe them, and the more we believe them over the Bible, the more we give way for Satan to wreak havoc in our lives. 

Yall, I get it, I used to be a constant worrier.  It takes a lot of work to do what I’m telling you.  I have had mind blowing fears spiral out of control to where I needed physical help from others.  I’ve also found this working in the smallest details in my life. 

We have to BELIEVE what God’s Word says about any situation we are facing.  We have to know that we know that we KNOW God’s Word is truth.  Period. 

He wants you healed.  He wants you prosperous. He wants you out of fear. He wants your marriage to work. He wants you to live and not die.  He wants you to know you are worthy. 

Know what the Word of God says about your situation.  If you don’t know where to start, ask your Pastor, a Bible reading friend, a concordance…just get in the Word and renew your mind!

Romans 12:2  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.