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Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).
Sometimes our thoughts behave like a fluttering flock of wild birds. They flit about aimlessly, lighting first here, then there. Especially when the hands are busy in routine tasks does the mind dart about, often with little direction or purpose.
Times like these can become times of mental and spiritual discipline if we will make the effort to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Instead of allowing our thoughts to drift with little or no direction, and often into critical and negative paths, we can capture them and teach them to be obedient to the guidance of the Christ within.
We may heed Paul's advice in Philippians 2:5-8: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who . . . took upon himself the form of a servant, and . . . humbled himself, and became obedient unto death."
"The purpose of life is to transform the powers latent in the Ego into dynamic energy, whereby it may perfectly control its different vehicles and act as it pleases. We know that it does not have full sway now, or there would be no warfare in our breasts, as we say, between the Spirit and flesh. But in reality, we should say, between the Spirit and the desire body. It is this warfare that develops spiritual muscle, as wrestling builds physical muscle. It is easy to bid others do this and that, but to enforce obedience from oneself is the hardest task in the world, and it has been truly said that `the man who conquers himself is greater than he who takes a city.'" Christianity Lectures, p. 59 Routine work that allows the mind freedom gives us a wonderful opportunity to control our thoughts; to learn to develop a constant awareness of God within; to learn, too, to immediately dismiss un-Godlike thoughts; to refuse to dwell on the negatives, the criticisms, the irritations, but to dwell instead on the positive, the loving, the Godlike. Bringing our thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ is really bringing them into a state of freedom and power. For only when we are one with Christ are we living freely and joyfully.
Captivity to Christ is true freedom.
— Rays from the Rose Cross Magazine, September/October, 1995
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