I’ve heard it said you get to choose what is in your head. In other words, you alone have the power to choose which thoughts to think.
No one can make you think what they want you to think. Oh, they can try to influence you; but in the end you have the superpower of choosing your thoughts.
Don’t give unwanted thoughts valuable real estate
My hubby’s Grandma Effie used to say, *“Thoughts are like birds. They can fly at your head; but you don’t have to let them build a nest in your hair.”
So true!
Replace bad with good
When bad thoughts come, why not replace them with good things?
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.
Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation
Fix your thoughts on what is true,
and honorable, and right,
and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
You are what you think
If you keep thinking about all the ways you have messed up, all your inadequacies, the many times you didn’t do your best, then more of the same is on the way.
If you are a child of God, keep telling your self you are of a chosen generation with a Father who guides you and that goodness and mercy are pursuing you. (See 1 Peter 2:9 and Psalm 23).
It’s not a magical formula, but it is much more motivating and energizing to think that way. Scripture tells us we are what we think.
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7a NASB 1995
*I have since learned Grandma’s saying was very similar to this quote from Martin Luther: “Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.” [Quotefancy]
This post was written in response to the prompt “choose” chosen by the Five Minute Friday community. You can read other great responses here. (In the interest of full disclosure, I did write my post in 5 minutes, but adding headings, scriptures and graphics took longer.)
Sharing at Grace & Truth, Inspire Me Monday, Tell His Story, InstaEncouragements Link-Up, Let’s Have Coffee, Recharge Wednesday, Tune In Thursday
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Oh my! Such a great reminder! Thank you very much.
~Beth
FMF #19
Thanks for dropping in!
Yes, we can always choose what we think about and how we respond. I love that you call it a super power! Visiting from FMF#9
And the awesome thing is that we all have that superpower!
You can make me sit here,
compelling me to say,
but let me make it very clear,
I believe not what you say,
and you cannot plant in my head
the seeds of your unfaithful thought.
I’ll be cold and I’ll be dead
before my soul is bought.
So go on with your blathering
’bout fifty-seven sexes,
and ’bout your school-board gathering
for witches giving hexes.
I don’t care, I am not awed,
’cause me and my house stick with God.
One of your best, Andrew! Thank you so much!
Taking every thought captive is a hard thing for me to do. But an important thing to keep working at. I sometimes imagine my thoughts coming down like a waterfall, and I can step away a little distance and just watch them instead of being up under them and getting soaked. 🙂 It’s like your grandmother’s saying of not letting the birds build a nest in my hair.
I totally understand. Rebuking each thought and replacing with a good one can become exhausting. But so worth it in the end!
Thanks for the waterfall analogy, Lisa!
I’ve been learning more and more to consider different, more positive thoughts, and fly with those instead of sitting on the not so good thoughts. FMF22
I truly think it makes the days brighter! Also, dwelling on the negative doesn’t change anything and brings us down.
Thanks for visiting, Annette.
This is so true.
Thank for sharing.
(visiting from #20)
Thanks for dropping in, Sandra!
Great quote by Martin Luther, “You cannot prevent the birds from flying in the air over your head, but you can certainly prevent them from building a nest in your hair.” ~Lisa, Visiting from THS
Lisa, thank you so much for letting me know Martin Luther said that, I thought it was original to Grandma, but she must have heard someone quote it – probably from some of the thousands of sermons she listened to in her lifetime!
“Don’t give unwanted thoughts valuable real estate”, says it all. How many times do we allow unwanted thoughts to move in uncontested? Truly guarding our minds is the key to many of our battles!
I have let many thoughts of offense live rent-free in my brain. Well, no more!
Thanks for coming by, Donna!