Every afternoon, I will post something for you to share with your family in the evening. It may be a talking point, a short video, a Scripture to read, etc. It will never take more than 20 minutes for you to do. Twenty minutes will allow your tots to hang in there and and your teens to stick around. Be sure to subscribe to get the daily post delivered to your Inbox.
Today’s Post… (Bad Thoughts)
Ask, Do you ever have a bad thought pop into your head? Maybe a bad word you heard or an image you saw on the computer or television
The truth is, once you see or hear something, you can’t erase it from your mind. It’s in there.
However, there are some things that you can do when those bad thoughts come.
- You can say, “I rebuke those thoughts away from my mind, thoughts and tongue,” each time they come to your mind. Often, Satan is the one constantly bringing them up. When I was young, I remember saying that line when I saw or heard something bad on a movie or television. I didn’t want those bad images or words to take root.
- You can instantly repeat a Scripture when the bad thought comes. Jesus recited Scripture when He was tempted by the devil. Here’s one you can use… “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
- Remember that the Bible says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 But, that doesn’t mean he will flee forever. He will keep trying to make you think bad thoughts and to dwell on them. It’s a strategy of his so they become temptation and sin. Resist him each and every time he tries!
- Pray and ask God to help you. Satan would love to make you believe God is mad at you for having bad thoughts. That’s a lie. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4). I believe that He went through that to show us that He understands. He loves you, unconditionally.
(Teach younger kids the song, “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.”)
(Give older kids an index card and let them write the verse above on it and decorate it, if they’d like. Tell them they can keep the verse handy to use when bad thoughts come. Encourage them to memorize it so they will have it with them all the time. Remind them that Scripture can be a weapon against Satan. Also remind them that they shouldn’t give Satan any tools to work with – they should not visit websites or searches that they know might allow bad things into their minds.)