JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye On Integrity is based on Second Corinthians 10:5b.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Our thought life can have a tremendous impact on the desires of our heart. Author Jerry Bridges has said that self-control of our thoughts means entertaining in our minds only those thoughts that are acceptable to God. We might not always have control of an initial thought that comes to our mind. For example, someone might say something that affects what we think. But then the question becomes, “What will we do with those thoughts? Will we dismiss them or entertain them?”

Philippians 4:8 gives us a focus point for our thought life: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

Walking with a thought life in obedience to Christ is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of things to think about. This devotional examines how our focus on Jesus helps us stay focused on the quality of whatever is true.

In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines Jesus as the true testimony from God.

John was one of Jesus’ disciples who wrote about Him in John 21:24, “We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Elsewhere, he wrote in First John 5:11, “This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Knowing Jesus as the true testimony from God is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.