Topic: Thoughts for a Peaceful Joyful Life [Joyce Meyer Devotional 4 June 2021]

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Thoughts for a Peaceful Joyful Life

I want to ask you a question: Do you think about what you’re thinking about?

This principle has been a foundational part of my teaching for years, and though it may sound funny, learning to regularly take inventory of your thoughts is essential to having a good life.

Second Corinthians 10:5 says to …destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (ESV).

In other words, we need to do our own thinking and deliberately choose to think on things that line up with God’s Word!

For years, I believed so many things that weren’t true, and they created a mess in my life. I remember thinking things like:

Nobody cares about me or loves me.

Nothing good is going to happen in my life, so I might as well not expect anything good.

I’m always going to have a second-class life because I was abused by my father.

This kind of thinking not only made me upset and bitter, but it also prevented God from bringing healing to these areas of my life.

Then the Lord began teaching me about Romans 12:2, which says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This scripture is so important for us to understand! God has a good, acceptable and perfect plan for us, and the way we can experience it is not to think like the world thinks, but to renew our mind and think the way God thinks.

Think on These Things

What you think about has everything to do with the quality of your life. But it’s not just good enough to stop thinking about the wrong things—we also need to replace them with good, healthy, positive thoughts from God’s Word.

Why? Because our thoughts affect our attitudes, moods and what we believe about ourselves. Everything the Lord tells us is for our own good—He knows what will make us happy and what will make us miserable!

Philippians 4:8 says, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (ESV).

I love this verse because God makes it so simple. He instructs us to think on good things—things that will build us up and not tear us down.

I want you to try this: The next time you notice yourself thinking the same old negative things, choose to replace the thoughts with truth from God’s Word.

For instance, if you feel like giving up, decide to think things like:

“I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength. God will never give up on me, so I won’t quit. I can make it to the finish line!” (See Philippians 4:13; Deuteronomy 31:6; Galatians 6:9.)

Or when the enemy tries to convince you that you’re insignificant or unlovable, focus on what God says about you:

“I am a child of God and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves me and cares about every single detail of my life. Before I was ever born, He approved of me. He has a great plan for my life!” (See Psalm 139; Romans 8:38; Jeremiah 1:5; 29:11.)

God’s Word is the answer to combatting the lies of the enemy. And the more we know His Word and get it deep down on the inside of us, the more we will enjoy freedom in every area of our lives.

Never Give Up!

I often say that learning to tame your mind can be like trying to tame a wild animal. When you first begin making an effort to do your own thinking, attempting to replace the bad thoughts with the good, it can be difficult and you may feel like you’ll never accomplish it.

But don’t give up! As you continue to lean on God and keep asking for His help in this area, you will begin to see change… and it’s a change that will affect every other area of your life.