Our thoughts can get us into trouble, especially when it comes to relationships. Sometimes someone says something hurtful, and you don’t let it go. You hang onto it, and it becomes a heavy chain dangling from your neck. Take captive your hurtful thoughts and you’ll be able to lift your head and be free from what used to burden you.


     In the beginning there was a thought.


     It wasn’t much really. Just thinking about what someone said to you that you thought was hurtful. All day you tried to push that thought away, but it kept knocking at your door. Pretty soon a friend called, and you told her about that thought.


     Then a few days passed and someone else said something to you that you thought was hurtful. This time you skipped talking to a friend about it. You took that thought and tied it around your neck, as if it were a necklace, with the two hurtful thoughts hanging down the front.


     Pretty soon you had so many hurtful thoughts attached to the necklace around your neck that it stopped being a piece of jewelry and it became a chain pulling you down.


     Pick up the key of taking your thoughts captive to Christ. He will help you take down those hurtful thoughts and help you forgive those who hurt you. Then you’ll be able to lift your head and be free from what used to burden you. But be careful. It’s easy to hang hurtful thoughts around your neck again. Keep your thoughts in line and focus on more positive things like how much God truly loves you.


2 Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.