It’s not a scripture we consider very often (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.”

Think of it: “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Did you ever stop to think of how we let thoughts that come winging into our minds affect us, depress us, make us anxious, distress us?

Instead of just a passing thought, they can control us. They can possess us.

It’s at the very moment of entrance that we have our best opportunity to stop that.

As soon as negative thoughts enters our minds, we should encircle them, put them in a cage, eliminate them.

We all have the power to do that. What it takes is discipline.

Few things could be more practically advantageous during Lent than training ourselves to do this.

The more we do it, the more it becomes second nature.

And the happier and more fulfilled we are.

Take wrong thoughts to the confessional.

Past failures?

Capture the memory and toss it into a mental dustbin.

The temptation for a bad habit? A sinful wondering of any sort? A false suspicion?

Instead of sulking and shrinking under the weight of an oppressive cerebration, we rise above it.

Easier said than done?

Sometimes.

But really, it’s largely a matter of simply remembering to do it.

Along with our subconscious, negativity also flows from the domain of darkness. We don’t want to be its slave. We don’t want ourselves to be what is captured.

See bars or a fence or a circle or whatever surround a negative thought every time it enters (worried thoughts of finance, of what other have said, of what others have done) and it will evaporate of its own accord.

Recognizing thoughts–taking note of each, every time they enter–is the main thrust of what we need to do, along with the conviction (ask Jesus to help) that it’s not to affect our thinking, our moods, our actions, and in general our lives.