Dealing with bad thoughts

On a typical evening around bedtime, my son asked me a question. Daddy, how can I stop bad thoughts from coming into my mind? What can I do to stop bad thoughts from coming to my mind?

This is a critical question that many morally guided boys have.

Thoughts are like birds flying in the sky. You can't stop the bird from flying, but you can definitely stop it from building a nest over your head
- Reverend Areogun

If a bad thought comes into your mind, actively stop it by speaking God's Word against it. Do not let it linger or fantasize imagination of bad thoughts.

Now, to be preventive, there are 2 main ways we can stop bad or intrusive thoughts from coming in the first place.

First, be careful of what you watch, what you hear and what you say. Your eyes and your ears are doors into your heart. If you spend the day watching superhero comics, you are likely to think more about it.

A boy who spends his days watching music videos of scantily dressed ladies while another boy who spends his days reading and studying engineering innovations documentaries will have their imaginations filled with different things. While one struggles with bad images in his mind, another can envision a future where he leads the next global innovation.

Jesus explained it this way:

those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. - Matthew 15:18

Job understood it clearly and made a promise:

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. - Job 31:1

The bottom line is that you can control what goes into your mind by controlling what you see, what you hear, who you choose to listen to, and the friends you choose to go out with.

Secondly, practice meditating/actively thinking on The Word of God. That means, you read your Bible and actively think about what you have read throughout the day.

King David had a similar question:

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. - Psalm 119:9

The importance of meditation on God's word was highlighted to Joshua:

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. - Joshua 1:8

So, in conclusion, how do we stop intrusive thoughts?

• Be careful of what you watch. What you see and hear becomes imagination in your thoughts
• Practice meditation and active thinking on God's Word