Our Thoughts Matter
February 10, 2024 — Lisa Thacker
Grief is a God-given process that helps us learn to live without the precious children who left earth way too soon. It’s natural and acceptable to grieve for the people we lose. Even Jesus grieved his friend Lazarus. However, as with everything in our broken world, Satan works to disrupt what God plans to accomplish. God intends to heal us through our grief. Satan intends to destroy us with it.
And one of the enemy’s favorite tools is to damage our thoughts. In a recent sermon by Levi Lusko, I heard some eye-opening statistics that support this statement. On average, humans experience five hundred intrusive thoughts a day that threaten to steal our joy. Each of these thoughts lasts approximately fourteen seconds, totaling around two hours per day or about an eighth of our waking moments. Now, these statistics are based on an average individual. As grieving people, it seems probable that these numbers would be greatly inflated in our brokenness. Suffering has a way of opening up deep crevices inside us for the enemy to worm his way into our wounded hearts and minds.
These figures provided concrete proof of just how aware I need to be of the evil one’s cunning, invisible schemes. But I can’t stop with awareness. I must be prepared to constantly deflect and defeat these unsuspecting assaults. That can only happen if I stay closely connected to my Heavenly Father through His Word. I must constantly scan every thought to detect damaging lies; and when lies are discerned, I must run immediately and consistently to God in prayer, asking Him to replace the lies with His truth. These disciplines won’t eliminate our grief. Remember, grief is necessary, purposeful, and healthy. Instead, these practices will shift our attention away from the hopelessness and despair heaped on us by the enemy, and our focus will be on the One who sacrificed His Son so that one day, our grief will be overcome, when we are reunited with those we love.
We don’t always get to choose the thoughts that enter our minds. But we DO always get to choose whether those thoughts take root and stick around to inflict damage. Thankfully, God is always ready to help us make that choice. We don’t have to do it alone.
Father God, Thank you for the reminder that grief is necessary, purposeful, and healthy. But, I also recognize that in my vulnerable state, the enemy wants to destroy me. Help me find the balance between grieving the way you intended without letting the enemy deceive and discourage me. Give me the discernment I need to honestly evaluate every thought that arises. Help me keep trusting You because I can’t do this on my own. Amen.
1 Peter 5:18 — “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Ephesians 6:13-18 — “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
