Wednesday, September 17

Part 2: Out With Bad | In With Good

What are you thinking on now?

Information filters into our minds through various platforms every day; social media, radio, television, telephone conversations, texting etc.

Pure thoughts produce peace.

Release the bad thinking; like a handful of air-filled balloons, let it go!

There are eight categories of positive thoughts to empower you with the freedom to choose good thinking over bad. Simply scroll down the page for 1-4

5. Lovely Thoughts:

Ask yourself, “Is this attractive?” The word lovely means that which attracts through its acceptable, pleasing quality.

Cultivate the vision to see past the outward perishable shells of the people around you, to the growing increasing beauty of Jesus within them. Look at your spouse and see in the wrinkles of years, the beauty of an enduring love.

Lovely thoughts revisit a treasured portion of God’s Word and notice the beauty in its construction; perfect, helpful, and lovely words to you.

✔ Peace flees the faultfinding mind
✔ Peace finds, feeds and focuses upon true beauty

Do your thoughts figuratively collect trash or do they gather treasure in your mind each day?

6. Commendable Thoughts (A good report):

Ask yourself, “Is this friendly?” A good report refers to words of kindness. This links to the concept of friendliness: are these the thoughts of a true friend?

Are you always kind or are you the kind of woman with words to avoid?

Why be kind to the undeserved? Luke 6:36 says it sweetly, "...for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil,"

Consider why you are kind. More often, our expectation constructs the motive for kindness; the smile of acceptance and appreciation, recognition and recompense - it all goes into playing out acts of kindness.

Try being kind to ungrateful individuals who give nothing in return. 

Authentic Christ like kindness is appropriating kindness
to the undeserved and deserved alike.

7. Excellent Thoughts (Virtue):

Ask yourself, “Is this Kingdom thinking?” The excellence (virtue) refers to that which God’s Word consistently regards as good.

Does your Bible reading ever consume your thoughts? 

8. Praiseworthy Thoughts:

Ask yourself, “Is this vertical?” Does this thought honor God? Does it fuel worship? Does it elevate His name? Think about these praiseworthy things - God’s Word, God’s Son, God’s people.

After providing eight categories of positive thoughts that will fill our minds, Paul, tell us to, “think on these things.” The word “think” means to ruminate – to chew the cud, like animals that eat and then regurgitate so they can chew their food over and repeatedly.

Your mind needs to cultivate a taste for good thoughts and decline the flavorless verbal and non-verbal communication that frequents the corridors of your head, home and horizon. 

The battle for your mind continues today. Now you have the knowledge for a war on bad words. 

Change your words and you will change your world.

Do not forget to journal this week:

RENEW YOUR MIND

• Out with the dirt

Which thoughts do you need to intentionally remove from you mind? Unresolved conflict, lack of forgiveness, negativity, ungratefulness, dividing cares, past hurts, disappointments, anxieties, etc.

• In with the good

Which true, honorable, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts will you chose to meditate on today?
Kingdom women have a certain style about them - “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

Find pleasure in higher things.

From the Heart of Deborah Choma


The Open Doors Institute
Christian Trainer | Conference Speaker
opendoors.deborah@gmail.com
219-902-4243

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