Ever had a thought and you weren’t sure where it came from? God can speak to us through our thoughts, and guide us in the way He wants us to go. But there’s a problem. We often fill our minds with so many unhelpful things that we struggle to discern where our thoughts are coming from. We doubt that we can hear Him through our thoughts, and we’d rather He did something more obvious such as speak in an audible voice. When we become Christians, God starts the process of renewing our minds. Paul writes that ‘we have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16). When God saves us, He starts thinking His thoughts through us. But it can be challenging to work out whether some of our thoughts are ours, God’s, or lies from the enemy. We need to test each thought to make sure it lines up with God’s truth. We need to be careful about what we’re letting ourselves read, watch, and listen to. And we need to spend time listening to God and learning more about His character through reading the Bible. The deeper our relationship is with Him, the easier we’ll find it to recognise His voice. This is what Romans 12:2 is talking about. Our minds need to be renewed so that they’re aware of God’s truth, and so that we ‘will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.’ If we’re struggling to know whether it’s a God-given thought, we can go to Him for wisdom. The Bible says: ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you’ (James 1:5 NIV). Let’s get into the habit of testing our thoughts to see if they’re from God. 

What Now?

Take 5 minutes and find a quiet place. During that time, write down each thought you have. Go through the list and test each thought to see where it came from – is it a helpful, godly thought?