Taking Every Thought Captive

I was going through a dark time recently and found this concept and it brought me right out of it. Hope it helps you.

 Observation or sitting with the thought.  Also Taking Every Thought Captive

I want to make this entry short because this is one of the simplest practices you will ever do.  All you do is when you first notice an emotion or a thought rise up inside of you... just observe it.  Don't try to understand it.  Don't try to figure it out.  Don't try to get it to go away.  Don't freak out about it.    Just sit there and observe it.  Like you would tell a misbehaving child to sit in the corner and don't move and you just stare at the child   You

do the same with your emotions/thoughts.  You will find that if you don't try to process or argue with the thought... that it will dissipate rather quickly.   Like watching a cloud float over head.. it will just float on by.   Very effective for me.  As you continue this practice, you will find the woundedness bring healed over a period of time. (or even quickly). For me.... this has been a real game changer.   

This practice still might seem vague and hard to grasp.. but believe me.. it is worth staying with it when you start to see the results.

Your thoughts might wander to something else.  That is fine.  You can choose to go with that new thought or take your mind back to the thing that was giving you problems.  The only thing with "the problem thoughts" don't let them develop.  Don't try to figure out how, why, when, etc.  Don't let it go anywhere past the intial thought you had.  Hard to do at first... but it does get easier.

Here is the second part of this practice:    Taking every thought captive which is making it ibedience to Christ and the rules of His Kingdom

*******that after we take a thought captive.. that is after observing it.. it will calm down and even dissipate.. but when it calms down.. we can/should insert a truth that we have learned. For example. Trust in the Lorrd with all your heart. Or cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. Or more specific for me... is the "I always have cake lesson" . Or Bless those who curse you. etc... (These are specific lessons for me that I have learned that have tremendously set me free) if you want, I can share those with you as well.

2 Cor 10:5 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;

Update: I used to have to spend a lot of time dealing with unwanted thoughts, emotions, etc.  I have found that since I have started using this "observation"  practice... that 1. The thoughts and bad emotions don't stay around long  2. I use up hardly any time trying to figure things out  3. Those thoughts don't come around as often either. 

    I love this.. I am living more of my life now instead of hiding away dealing with "issues".