Thoughts

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#1
Can thoughts harm us? Do our thoughts make up who we are?

I say no - I think we are greater than our thoughts, emotions, and behavior - therefore we are able to be meta-cognitive, meta-emotional, and meta-behavioral - having the ability to take an observer's perspective of all three.

I think this is the first step to understanding ourselves, making personal changes, and learning how to take another person's perspective, which leads to empathy, love and the ability to forgive others.

I also believe that ideas can never harm us if we realize that we are more than our thoughts.
 
L

lil-rush

Guest
#2
I don't know. I think too much, and that leads to trouble... mainly because it causes me to be over-analytical, and then I try to voice my over-analyzed thoughts and people don't understand me even though I understand what I'm trying to say. It makes sense in my head, but people just think I'm crazy and have no idea what I'm talking about. It's not my fault you mere humans can't follow my over-analyzed thoughts.

... thoughts can be harmful though. Even if we do not act on our thoughts, we need to learn to control them. For example, if you get in a fight with someone, and after leaving you spend hours replaying the fight in your head and thinking of ways the other person was wrong and ways you could correct them, etc that is harmful thinking.

Just like we need to control our tongue, we should control our thoughts. Jesus says lusting after a woman is adultery. Well, lust is a thought. That means thoughts of lust are trouble and wrong. Likewise, other thoughts can be trouble and wrong.
 
G

giantone

Guest
#3
Thoughts can help us or destroy us, we can choose to fear or chose faith, ideas are presented to us wherever we go weather sitting in front of the T.V. or sitting in church. A single picture can put an idea in one's mind has the potential to scar one for life or put his life off track.

The mind is like a full glass it can't stay empty, If you allow your mind to wander or think whatever it wants, the human carnal mind will always tend to evil and even if that wouldn't be the case the devil welcomes any chance to introduce his ideas. Keep your mind full of the Word of God and you give the other ideas less room to be.

The mind is the battlefield the heart is the prize. The devil doesn't want your hands or feet the devil could care less if you do good things, the devil doesn't want the armies, the tanks, he only wants the citadel, the command center, the heart.
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#4
I don't know. I think too much, and that leads to trouble... mainly because it causes me to be over-analytical, and then I try to voice my over-analyzed thoughts and people don't understand me even though I understand what I'm trying to say. It makes sense in my head, but people just think I'm crazy and have no idea what I'm talking about. It's not my fault you mere humans can't follow my over-analyzed thoughts.

Have you ever tried backing away from your thoughts? Just letting them run through your head without grabbing on to them? I understand your posts - I think you are one of the most clear-headed people on this board.

I practice contemplative prayer - which requires allowing thoughts and emotions to simply flow past like a river. The Cloud of Unknowing, a Christian Medieval document describes the method I use. It takes practice, but after awhile it allows you to separate yourself from all the over-analyizing and emotional ups and downs that happen in the body.

... thoughts can be harmful though. Even if we do not act on our thoughts, we need to learn to control them. For example, if you get in a fight with someone, and after leaving you spend hours replaying the fight in your head and thinking of ways the other person was wrong and ways you could correct them, etc that is harmful thinking.

I think trying to control your thoughts is futile - recognizing and observing them however, is possible and I believe, the first step to deciding how you want to change them.

I think your scenario involves emotions driving thoughts. Recognizing and observing emotions helps you allow the emotional state to pass though without affecting thought or behavior. Emotions only last 30 seconds unless they are perpetuated by an outside source or a rumination.

Just like we need to control our tongue, we should control our thoughts. Jesus says lusting after a woman is adultery. Well, lust is a thought. That means thoughts of lust are trouble and wrong. Likewise, other thoughts can be trouble and wrong.

Lust is a thought, emotion, and behavior. Jesus also said that looking twice is the real problem. Instead of allowing the thought or emotion lead to rumination, simply let them pass right by.
............
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#5
Thoughts can help us or destroy us, we can choose to fear or chose faith, ideas are presented to us wherever we go weather sitting in front of the T.V. or sitting in church. A single picture can put an idea in one's mind has the potential to scar one for life or put his life off track.

The mind is like a full glass it can't stay empty, If you allow your mind to wander or think whatever it wants, the human carnal mind will always tend to evil and even if that wouldn't be the case the devil welcomes any chance to introduce his ideas. Keep your mind full of the Word of God and you give the other ideas less room to be.

The mind is the battlefield the heart is the prize. The devil doesn't want your hands or feet the devil could care less if you do good things, the devil doesn't want the armies, the tanks, he only wants the citadel, the command center, the heart.
Sounds like Joyce Meyer's book. I think we can become a prisoner of our thoughts if we allow them to control us without observing them.

I tend to stay away from the idea of demonic attacks around every corner - I always noticed in the past, that viewing it that way took away my personal responsibility for my actions and therefore my power to change negative behavior. I know it works for some people, but not for me
 
G

glenwood74

Guest
#6
I think we must examine our thoughts to know exactly why we think them. If we do not, then we become emotional creatures, swaying this way and that by whatever influences drive our emotions.

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Proverbs 18:2....Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

Proverbs 4: 7....Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, get good judgment.
 
L

lil-rush

Guest
#7
Have you ever tried backing away from your thoughts? Just letting them run through your head without grabbing on to them? I understand your posts - I think you are one of the most clear-headed people on this board.

I practice contemplative prayer - which requires allowing thoughts and emotions to simply flow past like a river. The Cloud of Unknowing, a Christian Medieval document describes the method I use. It takes practice, but after awhile it allows you to separate yourself from all the over-analyizing and emotional ups and downs that happen in the body.
Not quite sure how one would do what you're describing.

I think trying to control your thoughts is futile - recognizing and observing them however, is possible and I believe, the first step to deciding how you want to change them.

I think your scenario involves emotions driving thoughts. Recognizing and observing emotions helps you allow the emotional state to pass though without affecting thought or behavior. Emotions only last 30 seconds unless they are perpetuated by an outside source or a rumination.
Oh, I don't mean we should try to stop thoughts from coming to our mind. That would indeed be a futile endeavor. I mean once a thought comes, we shouldn't dwell on the thought if it is not beneficial or Godly. When we are thinking we can either dwell on a thought, or think of something else.

30 seconds? Interesting. I've never heard that before. Do you have a source for this, maybe?

Lust is a thought, emotion, and behavior. Jesus also said that looking twice is the real problem. Instead of allowing the thought or emotion lead to rumination, simply let them pass right by.
Okay. I get what you're saying. I agree with that. I guess what I was saying is that when we let inappropriate thoughts ruminate, they become trouble.
 
L

lil-rush

Guest
#8
I think we must examine our thoughts to know exactly why we think them. If we do not, then we become emotional creatures, swaying this way and that by whatever influences drive our emotions.

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Proverbs 18:2....Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

Proverbs 4: 7....Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, get good judgment.
Oh. good point. We should definitely exam ourselves to figure out why we are having the thoughts we have. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it will be to recognize our shortcomings and allow God to fix them.
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#9
Not quite sure how one would do what you're describing.

Check out Thomas Keating - "The Human Condition" and "Open Heart, Open Mind"

Oh, I don't mean we should try to stop thoughts from coming to our mind. That would indeed be a futile endeavor. I mean once a thought comes, we shouldn't dwell on the thought if it is not beneficial or Godly. When we are thinking we can either dwell on a thought, or think of something else.

Then we are saying the same thing.

30 seconds? Interesting. I've never heard that before. Do you have a source for this, maybe?

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Marsha Linehan
..............
 
G

giantone

Guest
#10
Sounds like Joyce Meyer's book. I think we can become a prisoner of our thoughts if we allow them to control us without observing them.

I tend to stay away from the idea of demonic attacks around every corner - I always noticed in the past, that viewing it that way took away my personal responsibility for my actions and therefore my power to change negative behavior. I know it works for some people, but not for me
I totally agree, devils are not around every corner, our thoughts are. If we submit to evil things any devil in the aria looking for a place to roost is more than glad to hang around.

I decide whom this day I shall serve, I make the choices good or bad, including where I go what I look at and what I allow to stay in my mind.
 
Last edited:
L

lil-rush

Guest
#11
Alrighty. I'll check those out some time.
 
C

charisenexcelcis

Guest
#12
Do you want to hear something frightening? After serving God for thirty-six years, I believe that when I sin it is much more serious than when I was young in my faith. When I was new in Christ, sin was impulsive, the memorized behavior of my first sixteen years. From the outside it would appear serious--pride, egotism, sorcery. But now my sin is much more purposeful. There is a longer delay between contemplation of sin and action. And I am better at hiding those internal sins such as pride and hatred.
 
Dec 19, 2009
27,513
128
0
71
#13
Yes, thoughts can harm us. It is a sin to look lustfully on a person because you are then committing adultery with that person in your heart (Matt 5:28). In other words, thinking lustful thoughts is a sin.
 
M

machew

Guest
#14
Can thoughts harm us? Do our thoughts make up who we are?

I say no - I think we are greater than our thoughts, emotions, and behavior - therefore we are able to be meta-cognitive, meta-emotional, and meta-behavioral - having the ability to take an observer's perspective of all three.

I think this is the first step to understanding ourselves, making personal changes, and learning how to take another person's perspective, which leads to empathy, love and the ability to forgive others.

I also believe that ideas can never harm us if we realize that we are more than our thoughts.

aspen: The thoughts in your head can hurt yourself and the people around you. The question that should be asked is:

1. Do your thoughts control you or do you control your thoughts?
Paul mentions that nothing should have mastery over you in 1 Corinthians 6:12

In the context of this verse, Paul uses the example of sexual immorality and lusts. When you allow your thoughts to go haywire with sexually lustful thoughts, the thoughts control you because lustful thoughts have the ability to control the physiological functions in your body. However, this doesn't only apply to sexually immoral thoughts, but thoughts that spawn rage and hate. Thoughts can also control you if you allow them to in these areas, where unforgiveness and bitterness can be the source and result.

Of course you do have the ability to control your thoughts, but once you submit to a thought whether good or evil, that agreement with that thought now has a measure of control over you. This is one reason why skewed ideas from occult stuff such as witchcraft are able to lure so many in, because most don't realize that it has taken control over them once they dabble in it too much.

You should read my post on Spiritual Warfare. http://www.christianchat.com/showthread.php?t=8958
It discusses how thoughts are the weapons that the enemy(satan) uses.

Blessings,

Machew
 

VW

Banned
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#15
I practice a form of meditation which is not quite contemplative. I empty my mind of all thoughts except Jesus, not thoughts of Him, but Him actually. I rest and wait on Him, in faith. He comes and straightens out my thoughts, changes my perspective. He renews my mind, from the inner man. I cannot put into words just how peaceful and joyful this can be. Thoughts are more than just thoughts. Like words, they have great power. I am unable to control my own mind perfectly. Self cannot cast out self. Jesus can make our minds to be a place that He resides.
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#16
I practice a form of meditation which is not quite contemplative. I empty my mind of all thoughts except Jesus, not thoughts of Him, but Him actually. I rest and wait on Him, in faith. He comes and straightens out my thoughts, changes my perspective. He renews my mind, from the inner man. I cannot put into words just how peaceful and joyful this can be. Thoughts are more than just thoughts. Like words, they have great power. I am unable to control my own mind perfectly. Self cannot cast out self. Jesus can make our minds to be a place that He resides.
Very cool!
 
M

machew

Guest
#17
I practice a form of meditation which is not quite contemplative. I empty my mind of all thoughts except Jesus, not thoughts of Him, but Him actually. I rest and wait on Him, in faith. He comes and straightens out my thoughts, changes my perspective. He renews my mind, from the inner man. I cannot put into words just how peaceful and joyful this can be. Thoughts are more than just thoughts. Like words, they have great power. I am unable to control my own mind perfectly. Self cannot cast out self. Jesus can make our minds to be a place that He resides.

I'd actually like to discuss this further. A lot of what we think is our "sinful nature", the evil nature that seems to live inside of us is not actually who God says we are. So we cannot attribute these attributes to who we are according to God. So is God wrong, or are we? Obviously we are, and we are missing something. I believe a lot of what we delegate to ourselves as our carnal nature is actually the enemy who knows how to push our buttons to get the desired reaction, whether the method the enemy uses are thoughts or thoughts that manifest emotions. I believe that much of what we "struggle" or "are still working on" is not actually our garbage, but SOMEONE wants us to think it is us, so that we focus on becoming better, rather than focusing on God.
 

VW

Banned
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#18
I'd actually like to discuss this further. A lot of what we think is our "sinful nature", the evil nature that seems to live inside of us is not actually who God says we are. So we cannot attribute these attributes to who we are according to God. So is God wrong, or are we? Obviously we are, and we are missing something. I believe a lot of what we delegate to ourselves as our carnal nature is actually the enemy who knows how to push our buttons to get the desired reaction, whether the method the enemy uses are thoughts or thoughts that manifest emotions. I believe that much of what we "struggle" or "are still working on" is not actually our garbage, but SOMEONE wants us to think it is us, so that we focus on becoming better, rather than focusing on God.
Yes, this is very true, and the presence of Jesus in our minds will dispel these deluding influences.

But it is also true that our natural mind is not for God, does not understand God, cannot see God as it is. It, we, need the help of the Spirit of Christ. Our natural minds are in enmity with God unless and until renewed from the inner man, and this process is never over until we see Him with these eyes. We need this renewal while we wait for Him to come from heaven.
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#19
Do you want to hear something frightening? After serving God for thirty-six years, I believe that when I sin it is much more serious than when I was young in my faith. When I was new in Christ, sin was impulsive, the memorized behavior of my first sixteen years. From the outside it would appear serious--pride, egotism, sorcery. But now my sin is much more purposeful. There is a longer delay between contemplation of sin and action. And I am better at hiding those internal sins such as pride and hatred.

[FONT=&quot]I think God points out what we are ready to see. Sins are no better or worse; they are all manifestations of Pride that resurface in different and similar behaviors throughout our lives. Since many sins only come to light in hindsight, some abhorrent behaviors sneak up on us and we have to repeat lessons we should have learned long ago – these are always good for nurturing humility.[/FONT]
 
Feb 3, 2010
1,238
3
0
#20
Yes, thoughts can harm us. It is a sin to look lustfully on a person because you are then committing adultery with that person in your heart (Matt 5:28). In other words, thinking lustful thoughts is a sin.

Well, I guess I have to agree that thoughts can lead to sinful thought patterns and behaviors, if left unchecked.