When was the last time you caught yourself in a line of thought that caught you off guard? “How did I get here?!” is a pretty common response. It could be fear-based thinking, intrusive and insulting thoughts, or any number of other unhealthy pathways for our heart. We’ve all been there at some point, recovering from the spiral, looking back up to where we thought we were (metaphorically, of course) and then have to make that slog back out to normal, productive thoughts.

Taking Thoughts Captive

As a Christian, I am very familiar with the passage of scripture that reminds us to “take every thought captive.” God knows we wrestle with our thought-life, and so He meets with us in our place to say, “Hey, look at that again. Is it true? Does it align with my Word or my heart for You? Is this honoring to Me? Does it lift someone up or tear them down?” and so many other questions may come to mind that help us evaluate what we’ve just been thinking about.

The “D” Word Shows Up Again

Many times, people will ask me, “Pastor, how do I do that? How do I take my thoughts captive?” And this is a perfectly legitimate question. It’s not something we are typically in the practice and habit of doing. It requires something that most people don’t like to talk about…discipline. It requires intentionality, a plan, a pre-set pathway and expectations for handling the circumstance. For a lot of people, that’s where we check out. “Oh, effort beyond my normal patterns is required? No, I don’t have time for that.”

People get scared by that word “discipline” and those people probably don’t like anyone from Jocko Willink to Richard Foster (that’s hardcore, ex Navy SEAL to semi-mystical Pastor.) There are so many different approaches to discipline, multiple ways to get there that can accommodate, gracefully, to where you are in your spiritual walk with Jesus, and with your personality and giftings. Jocko is all about personal accountability and pulls no punches. Richard Foster is a Christian author who acts like a gentle guide, showing you the benefits and growth points kindly and with transparent persuasion. No matter how you slice it, if you want to see more stability in your thoughts, you’re going to have to evaluate them.

Bringing in Help

For many people, this means not going at it alone. For the Christian, this is the expectation and command. We are supposed to “do life” with one another, help each other and support our brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, everyone isn’t a trained, certified biblical counselor. So, we have to understand the levels of support:

1. Complete Stranger – Probably best to just say “Hey” and move on. Don’t unload on strangers.
2. Casual Friend/Coworker – This person can share a coffee with you and listen, but needs to know you’re not asking them to “fix” anything, just to listen.
3. Family/Close Friend – These people know you well enough to speak into your life, but some boundaries are still needed. These supports come with biases that will be communicated.
4. Ministry Leader/Some Pastors – These people have training, can give some directed advice, and should be considered as unbiased counsel. These are good connections.
5. Professional Counsel – These are the people you can open completely up to. They are trained, ready and capable of working with you as you process tough thoughts.

Taking our thoughts captive means having a sounding board, someone whose thoughts aren’t all wrapped up in whatever is going on inside of us. They can see things differently, can provide calming counsel, and point us toward our hope in Christ.

No one is meant to fly solo. If you need a place to start, try MentalHealthGraceAlliance.org for a support group of people who will “get it” or call your pastor to set up an appointment.