Be the Bishop of Your Thoughts

Coral Ridge Ministries

Be the Bishop of Your Thoughts

Philippians 4:8

April 24, 2024

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8

We can make a sincere effort to try to counter our thoughts and to bring them into subjection to Christ and obedience to Him, and we will discover that they will affect the life that we lead. I would urge you to look these over from day to day (what Paul lists here) and ask yourself are these the things that you are thinking about?

Now ordinarily we don’t stop and consciously ask ourselves what thoughts are going through our minds, but I think that we need to do that more often. We need to be as it were a supervisor of our own thoughts—a bishop, which is an overseer, of the thoughts of our minds to see what kind of thoughts we are dwelling on.

When we see that we are beginning to go down one of those well-worn channels again, that we say, “Stop, you are not going down that channel anymore.” We want to replace the ungodly thoughts with godly ones.

Unholy thoughts lead to unholy living. Holy thoughts do lead to holy living. Some people have said that a person is what he thinks about all day. That may not be totally true, but the old saying is true: garbage in, garbage out. Be the bishop of your thoughts.

Father, give us strength for today to control what we think about. Forgive us for allowing our minds to dwell on evil things. Lord, renew our mind and so renew our lives…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE FOR CHRIST.

Dealing With Worry

April 30, 2024

“Who of you by worrying can add one cubit to his height?” — Luke 12:25 The French word for “wooden shoe” is sabot. From this word comes “sabotage,” and it seemed that Dutchmen had a way of sabotaging French plants by casting their wooden shoes into the machinery. Worry is sabotage to our lives. Worry is a great destroyer of the body as well as the mind. Worry is also harmful to the spiritual life. Jesus said that the cares of this world choke out the good seed and keep it from being fruitful. Cares of this world cause some people never to enter the kingdom of God. I remember talking one time to a person that I dearly loved, talking to him about the kingdom of God and about the salvation which Christ offered. And I remember how he cut me off short by telling me that he had so many problems and so many cares and so many worries in the world that he did not have time to think about that. Many people think about worry as a weakness. The Bible tells us that it is a wickedness; that it is because of unbelief. Because, you see, where worry starts, faith ends. You cannot have faith and worry about the same thing at the same time. As water in a glass replaces the air, so worry replaces faith. Worry is practical atheism. But we should cast our cares on the Lord and trust Him. Over and over we see He helps, and most of our worries never materialize. Dear Lord, forgive us for our unbelief. Forgive us for taking on ourselves burdens, which overwhelm us, instead of turning those problems over to You. Thank You that You are more than capable to handle all these problems… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, OUR PROBLEMS ARE HANDED OVER TO THE GREAT PROBLEM-SOLVER.

“When Time Permits”

April 29, 2024

“After several days, when Felix arrived…he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ…Felix was afraid and answered, ‘For now, leave! When time permits, I will send for you.’” — Acts 24:24-25 How true it is that has been said, “Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been.” We all know that the road to hell is lined with good intentions. But why? Because of procrastination. Procrastination is what keeps good intentions from materializing into good works. If procrastination is harmful in the spiritual exercises of this life, it is most deadly and fatal when it comes to our eternal salvation. We see a spiritual procrastinator in the example of Felix, a Roman leader. Now Felix was a despicable character, far lower than the average Roman governor. He was indeed, the Roman historian Tacitus tells us, “a man of lust and cruelty;” who “exercised the office of a king with the spirit of a slave.” In Acts 24, this man, who did not hesitate to get involved in the most immoral kinds of activities, was now listening to Paul preach. As he talked about these things, Felix began to tremble. Because his sins were crying out against him and his conscience was calling for relief, he should have repented, but he was a procrastinator. So he said, “For now, leave! When time permits, I will send for you” (Acts 24:25). He would take care of it mañana. To our knowledge he never did. How tragic. He provides a great example of what not to do. Heavenly Father, forgive us for our spiritual procrastination. Give us strength for today to share the Gospel with those You have put in our path. Help us to not be like Felix or anyone else who would postpone such important news… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE WILL HEED HIS VOICE TODAY.

Boast Not of Tomorrow

April 28, 2024

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” — Proverbs 27:1 Though we usually joke about it, psychologists tell us that procrastination can be a very harmful addiction with disastrous consequences. Many people addicted to procrastinating just can’t seem to stop, no matter what. During the American Revolution, General Washington had conceived his bold plan to cross the Delaware in the midst of winter and to surprise the Hessian army at Trenton on Christmas night 1776, but a British sympathizer saw what he was doing and sent a messenger across the river with a note to Colonel Rahl, the Hessian commander. When the courier arrived at the camp, he found the Colonel in his tent playing cards with his officers. He gave him the letter, and Rahl, without opening it, put it in his pocket, and said, “Later, but first, let’s finish the game.” He finished the game just in time to stand up, surprised at the American attack. It cost Rahl his honor, his command, and his life—all because of procrastination. It can, indeed, have disastrous consequences. In the business realm, procrastination can have disastrous consequences. Many a person, who, though he is outstandingly talented, educated, and equipped, does not progress nearly as well as some of lesser abilities and talents simply because he procrastinates and the others don’t. When it comes to the spiritual world, procrastination is eternally disastrous. Many important things are left undone because of procrastination. Most vital of all is to not postpone accepting Christ. Let us live today for Christ. Tomorrow may never come. Lord, give me strength for today to do that which I should do today. Forgive me for so often putting off today’s task until “tomorrow,” which often never comes. Help me to truly live for You today… BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE LIVE FOR HIM TODAY.