Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Especially in the Christian culture, we can be so consumed by the outward appearance. We can put layer of expectation and layer of expectation on so many different people and on ourselves of just—we need to convince everybody that we're good outwardly. Meanwhile, we don't necessarily have a good handle on our thoughts, and our thoughts are actually going to take us down different roads that we don't want to go down.
That's why this passage, this verse, even though so convicting, can be so powerful because it starts getting to the heart of the matter. As Jesus said, out of the contents of the heart, the mouth speaks. What we're thinking turns into action, and that's why it's so important to really grasp this verse.
Does It Matter to Us?
The question has to come down to: does it matter to us that God knows what our thoughts are? I'll tell you what—we can give all this perception of great behavior and what people think of us, and that becomes the defining factor of who we are and where we find our identity. Our thoughts actually can take us down a totally different road.
Imagine if you're driving down the road and you see this huge billboard sign off the highway, and you see on this huge billboard sign that's electronic—it's actually playing for everyone to see every thought you're having. All of a sudden, your loved ones start getting alerts on their phone and they call it up, and now what's playing on their phone is actually everything you're thinking about.
Imagine what you would think, how you would feel in that moment. Some of us would be terrified, and it would just be very revealing, because we can often think that, well, it's in my thoughts, it's in my mind—I'm not affecting anybody. It's just in my mind, right? I'm not hurting anybody.
Setting the Standard
If we start setting the standard of: are we pleasing God? Does it matter to us that God knows our thoughts and we want to please Him? That's why the second part of this verse—"for I rejoice in the Lord"—that's the motivator of what He's talking about in the first place. For I rejoice in the Lord, the Lord is the one I want to please the most.
Do I care that He knows every thought I have? I'll tell you what, if we put that as the standard, imagine the ripple effect that that would have in our marriages, in our relationships, in our lives, in our workplace. Now we're setting our thoughts, we're having a little bit more control on our thoughts, and we care about them.
Why? Because God knows our thoughts and we find our joy in Him, in His presence, and what He thinks about us. It'll protect us from going down roads we should never go down in the first place, because now we're guarding our thoughts and wanting to make sure before any thought turns into an action, we've already navigated through it. We've already put safeguards on it because we are mindful of our thoughts, and we're setting our thoughts at the standard of pleasing God.
A Challenge for Today
This verse has been so convicting for me, and I'm just asking that you would take some time today and really think through this verse. Where are you putting your thoughts? What have you spent your time thinking about? Are you pleasing God with those thoughts? Are you wanting to please Him? Do you find your joy in Him?
I would find ways to actually navigate through new thoughts and renewing your mind. Romans chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2 talks about a transformed mind. God can do that for you. Just ask Him to renew your mind today and have thoughts that drive your life to action that's pleasing to God. It starts in your thoughts.
Take some time and spend some time with God. Surrender your thoughts to Him today.
