Tormented

Every day you have thousands of thoughts go through your mind. Thoughts about what needs to be done for that day. Thoughts about what you will wear. Thoughts about what you will eat. You may even have thoughts about God. Others have loving thoughts toward family. Thoughts about work.

For a few each day is a battle. Their thoughts are tormented. Their minds are a war zone. All throughout the day missile like thoughts hit as they dwell on past mistakes, sinful desires, self esteem and insecurity issues, broken hearted sorrows as well as broken dreams.

Each of these negative thoughts are like mines in a mine field. If not detected and removed they can cause severe destruction. Take anyone of the above listed thoughts and trace the end result. For example, how many people dwell day in and day out on past mistakes. They cannot go back and change those mistakes. Still they are chained to regret. Regret lodges in their mind and keeps them imprisoned. It is all they dwell on. Night and day they drown in a sea of regrets. How differently life would have turned out if they had not made that one mistake or that serious of mistakes. Read what Paul has to say.

Philippians 3:13-14 (NASB) 
¹³  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
¹⁴  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

No matter how much regret anyone carries, they cannot go back and change past mistakes. They can repent. They can make amends. They cannot undo the past. Paul has great advice. Quit looking backwards to the past and start looking forward to the future. 

If a person dwells on sinful desires, sooner than later those thoughts will turn into action. That is where sin always start. It starts with a thought. 

James 1:13-15 (NASB) 

¹³  Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
¹⁴  But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

¹⁵  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 

When we lust or desire and dwell on that lustful desire sin is just around the corner. Paul also has other words of wisdom for the person dealign with a mind tormented by sinful desires. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB)
³  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
⁴  for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
⁵  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 

Every thought must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. How? How can a mind so tormented find relief? Again we turn to the Apostle Paul. 

Colossians 3:1-2 (NASB)
¹  Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
²  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

You get the picture. If you dwell on sinful desires and fill your mind with those destructive thoughts you will give in eventually. If you set your mind on Christ things, scriptural things, God honoring things it makes all the difference. 

Nobody has to live tormented in their minds. No matter what tormented thoughts cloud your mind and weigh you down with defeat and depression God has a way out. It begins with dwelling on His truth and letting that truth take root in our minds. With each destructive thought God has a corresponding truth to bring liberty and peace. Jesus holds the keys to open the prisons of minds and set the tormented free giving liberty to these captives. What will you choose to dwell on?