Protection. We guard our home car, skin, and even time, but sometimes we neglect to guard one of the most important areas—our thought life. We need to place a guard over our thought life.
Here’s How:
- Take control. Don’t allow your thoughts to wander like an out-of-control car. Grab hold of the steering wheel. The Word of God says to take captive every thought and to bring it into the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5.) You may not be able to control every thought that comes in, but you can determine whether or not it stays.
- Guard your gate. What’s the gate of your mind? It’s your eyes and ears. Don’t put junk into your thought life by throwing open the gate. Filter what comes in. Remember the computer term G.I.G.O.: garbage in, garbage out.
- Thought replacement. When thoughts of fear or doubt come your way, replace them with love and faith. You cannot have two complete thoughts in your mind at the same time. For good thought replacement ideas, see Philippians 4:8.
Source: Every Teenager’s Little Black Book on Sex and Dating
by Blaine Bartel.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Blaine is a modern-day Lazarus.
Jesus resurrected him out of 23 years of sexual addiction and the death of everything he held dear. Today he coaches men out of sexual brokenness and into the Jesus life.
Blaine and his wife Lori reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They love going on long walks from the kitchen to the living room and have a weakness for reality shows. Along with his speaking and coaching, Blaine is a writer and has recently shared his resurrection story in his latest book, "Death by a Thousand Lies."
For the inquiring mind, a complete history is below.