What Were You Thinking?!!

 

The Power of our Thoughts

If you are like me, after reading the blog title, you had flashbacks of your childhood and your parents asking you, in a variety of tones and volumes, "What were you thinking!!?" And I would reply, usually with a confused or blank look on my face "I don't know?". Somehow actually "thinking" about what I was going to do never entered my mind… I just did it! What was this "thinking about it" stuff anyway? It just seemed like the thing to do at the time! Lol!

But as I’ve grown in my walk with the Lord, that question—“What were you thinking?!”—has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s no longer just about childhood impulses but about the power of our thoughts and how they impact our lives... and the lives of others.

Taking every thought Captive

A few years back... ok maybe a couple decades ago now that I think about it, lol, I was invited to join a Bible study and one of the scriptures in this study was; 

"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." 2 Corinthians 10:5

At that time, this thought was revolutionary to me! I was like 'Wait…what!? I can actually DO that? I can take my thoughts captive?!'

You see, I had been plagued with thoughts that ran amuck in all sorts of unpleasant directions! I would imagine my husband or children having horrible accidents, and before I knew it, I was emotionally wrecked, mentally living out these tragedies that hadn’t even happened! Or I would be mad at my husband for imagined or misunderstood slights, then dwelled on everything he did wrong. Or I would rehash conversations I had, or wished I had... over and over again. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. 

Once the Lord gave me this scripture, I began learning how to take those thoughts captive, to rein them in, and replace them with the truth. I began thanking God for the safety of my family, choosing to remember all the good things about my husband, and letting go of the past so I could move forward.

It certainly wasn't easy at first, it was like trying to use an atrophied muscle, in this case, my floppy grey matter, lol! But over time, that mental muscle grew stronger and I got better at catching those downward spirals and turning them around faster.

When I say “replace negative thoughts with the truth,” I mean literally replacing them with scripture. Here are a few of my go-to verses:

When my mind goes down anxious rabbit holes, I lean on this one; 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6. 

And this one is great to rein in all kinds of wayward thoughts:

"Finally, brothers, 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." Philippians 4:8 

Another one I turn to when I’m struggling to trust in God's provision:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 

Making up my Mind

This blog was inspired the other day as I was listening to the Bible and I heard this verse:

"But make up your mind not to worry... " Luke 21:14

And it hit me the same way 2 Corinthians 10:5 did. Not only can we take our thoughts captive, but we can also "make up our minds" to do, or not to do. We can be intentional about what we think, say, and do! In this verse, the topic is "worry". Which means we can actually decide, yes, we can make up our mind, NOT to worry! And instead, we can choose to trust God. This IS within our ability! Is that as revolutionary to you as it was to me?

We can so easily believe the lie that we have no control over our thoughts—that worry, fear, or anxiety just “happen.” We tell ourselves, “I can’t help it,” or “That’s just the way I am.” Granted, there are many things in life we can’t control—but our thoughts? That’s one thing we do have control over!

Another scripture that speaks to this idea is:

"Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Romans 14:13 

This is another important topic to ponder. How often have we passed judgement on others, consciously or not? I’ll admit, I am as guilty as anyone in this regard. But I have been working on it! When I catch myself heading down that judgmental road, I stop and remind myself that I’m no better. I’ve made the same or similar mistakes. Who am I to judge? I make up my mind not to pass judgment. Of course, this is still a work in progress, lol. (see Matthew 7:1).

Searching the Scriptures

So, after my recent discovery of the “make up your mind” verse, I decided to search for other scriptures pertaining to our "minds". I have listed a couple above but here are a few more;

"Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."  Matthew 16:23

In this verse, Jesus tells Peter that he has in mind the things of MEN and not of GOD. What does that even mean?? How do we know the difference between the things of God or man? I am sure Peter was astounded by Jesus' rebuke thinking, "I thought I DID have in mind the things of GOD!"

I don’t have all the answers here, but from what I’ve learned so far, God’s perspective is almost always eternal, not temporal. When we are focused on worldly comforts or quick fixes, we usually have the mindset of man. But when we shift our focus to Him, seeking His will and trusting His timing, He faithfully leads us. A heart and mind set on Him opens the door to God’s eternal purpose, not just temporary relief. 

Here is another verse along these lines:

"Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:19 

Loving God with my Mind

"He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'... " Luke 10:27 

In this scripture Jesus asks us to love God with everything! Our heart, soul, strength, and mind. That tells me the mind can be excluded too. Maybe we love Him with our heart, or maybe our heart and strength, but forget the mind. He wants all of it.

What does loving God with our mind look like?

After pondering this for a minute, this scripture came to mind:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Apparently, our minds need to be renewed and transformed!! And once they are, we will have a much better idea of what God's good, perfect, and pleasing will is.

Another way we can love Him with our minds is by thinking about him all the time. Keeping Him at the forefront of our minds, talking about Him, and to Him, throughout our day. Just like it says in Deuteronomy 11:18-21;

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many …”

The Battlefield of the Mind

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" Romans 1:28

This verse is sobering. If we don’t value the knowledge of God, we can be given over to a depraved mind. Yikes!! That’s not something I want to experience!

"...but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." Romans 7:23 

Our minds are a battleground. This reminds me of Joyce Meyer’s book Battlefield of the Mind. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it! I even got the daily devotional, which really helped strengthen my thought life and “grey matter.” 😊

 

The Spirit Controlled Mind

"The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace..." Romans 8:6 

Here again, we see the power of choice: our minds can be controlled by sin and death—or by the Spirit, which brings life and peace. I’m learning more and more how powerful our thoughts truly are. They really can bring life... or death. Wow.

This might not be new information to you. Maybe you feel like you already have

great control over your thoughts—and that’s awesome! But I think this topic is important enough for all of us to pause and check in with ourselves. Maybe some areas of our thinking could use a little refreshing or “spring cleaning.”

So, what ARE you thinking?

Based on the scriptures I have listed, here is a little thought-life checkup:

• ·       Are you taking your thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ?
• ·       Are you thinking of things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy?
• ·       Do you have in mind the things of God or of man?
• ·       Have you made up your mind not to worry, fear, or be anxious?
• ·       Are you choosing gratitude over grumbling?
• ·       Is your mind conformed to the pattern of this world or are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind?
• ·       Is your mind controlled by the Spirit of life and peace or by something else? 
• ·       Are you “cycling through” negative thoughts over and over?

Practical Ways to Renew Your Mind:

Ok, let me end with a summary of the ways, that I have learned, to rein in my crazy, floppy grey matter:

• ·       Recognize negative thoughts and replace them with scripture.
• ·       Be intentional about what you allow into your mind.
• ·       Talk to God, and about God, daily.
• ·       Focus on gratitude over worry.
• ·       Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts

Thank you, Father for these scriptures and insights into our minds, and how powerful our thoughts can be. Help us, Lord, to take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ. And help us to surrender our minds to You so that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Jesus name! Amen.

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. ..." Revelation 17:9 

Worry, Fear and.... Unforgiveness

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

The other day I was thinking about recent conversations I have had with some Christian friends and was marveling once again at how easily and quickly we fall into worry and fear. As I was pondering this, the Lord spoke to my heart and said:

"Fear is like unforgiveness in that, the only one it hurts is YOU"!

Wow. Ok, Lord! I had never thought about it in that way before, but after a few moments of thought, I realized just how true that was!

Unforgiveness

I have heard it said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person —the one we refuse to forgive— to die! There is so much written about unforgiveness available in books, podcasts, and sermons, so I won't belabor it, but the bottom line is, if we expect unforgiveness to hurt the other person, we are mistaken.

Unforgiveness only hurts us and can cause debilitating anger, resentment, and bitterness in our own hearts while the other person we refuse to forgive may be completely unaware and unaffected. 

Let's look at worry, fear and anxiety

Worry, fear and anxiety are basically all the same in that they result from a lack of faith and trust in God. There are many studies that show how worry and anxiety affect our mental and physical health in dramatic and devastating ways. When we allow fear and worry to consume us, our bodies and minds take the hit, just like unforgiveness.

So just like unforgiveness, when we fear or worry, the only one that is affected by it, is us! 

You Choose

I get an email from Project Happiness every day and one day I got one that said:

"Faith and Fear both demand that you believe in something you cannot see. You choose".

I was like, Whoa!! That was profound! It puts things, regarding faith and fear, in a whole new perspective that I hadn't seen before. We can’t see either of them but we actually DO have a choice!

What Does the Bible Say About Fear

How many times in the Bible does it say "Do not fear"? I have heard that it was 365 times – once for each day of the year-- but decided to verify that myself and found this website: Does the Bible say "Fear not" 365 times? 

Sadly, according to the website, that saying is not true but, depending on your version of the Bible, it does say it 70 to 100 times, which is still a lot of times!

The website lists these very good and impactful scriptures:

• "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9 
• “But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."  Isaiah 43:1

• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

After a quick search myself, I pulled out these scriptures:

·       "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 

·       "So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6 

·       "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 

·       "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

After reading these scriptures, I can't help but wonder: Why do we fall into fear so easily!?

We have an amazing, powerful, loving, righteous God who knows us intimately, calls us His own, promises that He will provide for us and protect us and vows that He will never leave us or forsake us!! So why do we still struggle with fear??

Maybe it is because we don’t know him, love Him or trust Him like we thought we did??

A Personal Lesson in Trust

One day during our "Crazy Journey" back in 2007 and 2008 (which I share in From Caterpillars to Butterfly's), things were not going at all the way we thought they would go (very much like the disciples believing Jesus, as the Messiah, was going to restore Israel by becoming an earthy king) and I was full of stress, anxiety and fear, and the Lord asked me:

 "Linda, do you trust me?"

I said, “Yes Lord, I trust you.”

He asked me again:

"Linda, do you trust me?"

I answered, “Yes Lord, I trust you!”

And he asked again:

"Linda, do you trust me?"

At that point I couldn’t help but laugh out loud because it sounded SO familiar! He had done the same thing to Peter when he asked him three times if he loved him. (John 21:16-17)

But God had made His point and impressed upon my heart that, while I was saying I trusted Him, I truly did NOT trust him like I thought I did. I knew I should trust him, and wanted to trust him, but when the chips were down, and the rubber met the road, it was clear that I wasn’t as surrendered and trusting as I wanted to be.

The Journey of Trust

Isn’t that what our “Journey to Know God” is all about? To build our relationship with the Lord, through the circumstances He allows in our lives, so that we can grow in our knowledge and love of Him so much that we can trust Him with anything and everything that comes our way.

To have no fear in life no matter what happens because we KNOW that God is with us... even unto death.

We all experience moments of fear when something threatens, which is natural. But living in fear or being fearful shows how little we actually trust God.

The irrationality of Fear

Speaking of “even unto death.” There is a show I like to watch called "The Irrational" and it is about a world-renowned behavioral scientist who specializes in people's irrational behavior and the ways they make illogical decisions. As Christians, I think it is irrational for us to fear death.

Why are we so afraid of dying? If our belief is that we will be with our amazing God when our physical form dies, how can that possibly be a bad thing or something to fear? Why do we pray so hard for believers who are dying to be healed when we know they will be in a far better place, out of pain and suffering and with our loving Savior? And why do we get so angry at Him if He doesn’t heal?

It seems so irrational for us to be afraid and worry as much as we do when we have so many scriptures, promises and experiences of God taking care of us.

Worry Makes Us Unfruitful

In the parable of the Soils, it says: 

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ... The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Matthew 13:18-23 

This is yet another perspective of how worry and fear can be harmful to us!! It can make us "unfruitful" for the Kingdom.

If the world sees Christians being just as fearful, anxious, stressed, and worried as they are, why would they want what we have?? Our witness therefore becomes ineffective and fruitless for the Kingdom.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

​​

I love Oswald’s February 21^st devotional as it gives some insight as to how we can demonstrate our love to God:

​Do You Really Love Him?
Mark 14:6​ - ​"Leave her alone, said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.​"

If what we call love doesn't take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love​...

… To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. ". . . but perfect love casts out fear . . ." (1Jo_4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, "Am I of any use?" and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.

​Our value to him is being able to bear fruit, fruit that will last (John 15:16). When we completely surrender to Him, without fear, worry or anxiety, THEN God can work through us and produce fruit for His Kingdom.

Is our love for God taking us beyond ourselves? Or are we so focused on ourselves and concerned about what others think? In the Oswald scripture, Mary was all IN and didn’t care a bit what others thought. Jesus’ perfect love for her cast out her fear.

So, let’s ask ourselves: Are we holding onto fear the way some people hold onto unforgiveness?

Insight from Chet

As a finishing touch, I thought I would end with Chet's (AI ChatGPT) input on this subject:

I asked Chet: "Biblically speaking, would you agree that worry and unforgiveness are similar?"

Chet: Yes, biblically speaking, worry and unforgiveness share similarities because both involve a lack of trust in God and can weigh heavily on the heart.

1. Lack of Trust in God – Worry stems from fear of the future, while unforgiveness often comes from holding onto past hurts. Both suggest a struggle to fully surrender to God’s control. Jesus emphasized trust in Matthew 6:25-34, urging His followers not to worry because God provides. Likewise, Paul encourages believers to "forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32), showing that forgiveness is a form of trust in God's justice and mercy.

(Tom: Actually, it is the Cross of Christ that bought forgiveness for us, not God’s justice and mercy. Those were WHY Jesus came and died for us. So our trust is in the finished work of the Cross.)

2. Bondage vs. Freedom – Worry keeps a person trapped in anxiety, just as unforgiveness keeps them chained to resentment. Both can consume thoughts, emotions, and spiritual well-being. Jesus came to set people free (John 8:36) and offered peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
3. Hindrance to Prayer and Relationship with God – Both worry and unforgiveness can hinder a close relationship with God. Jesus taught that if we do not forgive, our Father will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). Similarly, worry can distract from a prayerful, trusting heart and lead to self-reliance rather than faith.
4. Spiritual Warfare – The enemy often uses worry and unforgiveness to keep believers ineffective. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive to Christ, whether it’s fear-driven worry or bitterness from past offenses.

So, in a way, both worry and unforgiveness are burdens that weigh down the soul, and God calls His people to release both into His hands. 

​Brilliant!!

Father, thank you so much for this insight!! Please help me to know you more so that I would love you more and then learn to trust you more. I truly don't want to be weighed down by the burdens of worry and fear. And I don’t want to be unfruitful in my walk with You. Please open my eyes to see you in new, wonderful, transforming, and trusting ways. And help me to surrender any unforgiveness, worry, fear and anxiety that are both large and hidden in my heart. In Jesus name, amen.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28   

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” Luke 12:32

“He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26

“But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Matthew 14:27

“Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Mark 5:36

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

Biblical “X-Games” of Faith

 

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1

If you could define faith, what would it look like in your life or others' lives? How would you define it? How do you know if you have faith? If you don’t have faith, how would you cultivate it? And, if you were being selected for a team based on your faith, would you be picked first, in the middle, or last? How would you contribute to the team’s qualities and strengths?

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” But what does that really mean? How does it look in daily life, in your life or mine?

My faith journey has been very eye opening and educational for me. I thought I had faith until my life was completely rocked and I lost everything. Interestingly, I lost everything having faith that God would do something so that I wouldn’t lose it! My faith was in what I thought God would do, but I eventually learned to have faith in HIM regardless of what things looked like. God kept telling me to trust Him, but I had painted a picture of what His deliverance would look like. As it turns out, His plans were nothing like my expectations! Of course, His ways are always better than mine, but wow, what an incredible journey it was to discover how little faith I truly had!! I hesitate to say that I would compete well in any faith competition…

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

During that time Tom made a profound statement; “It is easy to have faith when there is money in the bank!” Right!?  Faith seems to come so easy when everything we “need” is right in front of us. But take it all away, money, possessions, even reputation and health (like Job experienced)—and what are we left with? Would we find that we still have faith?

Speaking of faith in the midst of loss, what about the people in Florida and Western North Carolina who lost everything in the hurricanes and flood of Helene or Milton, or the people in Los Angeles who lost everything in the wildfires? I am pretty sure those people prayed fervently—believers and unbelievers alike—asking God to spare their homes and possessions. Yet, God had other plans. How have these events affected their faith and trust in God? Would they be good candidates for the X-Games of Faith? What would it do to your faith in God? Would you continue to trust Him, or would you walk away?

Is faith developed in times of ease and plenty, or in seasons of difficulty and lack? I’ve found that hardship, though painful, tends to cultivate faith more than ease. When everything is stripped away, hopefully, what is left is dependence on God alone. It’s in those times of being stripped down to nothing that faith in God becomes real and tangible— even when we don’t understand His plans.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1: 2-4

I love what Oswald has to say about faith in his August 29^th devotional;

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

"Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ John 11:40 

Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your common-sense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?

Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).

I love that perspective from Oswald!! From what I know about Oswald, I think HE would be a great competitor in the X-Games of Faith!

A chat with AI

Okay, getting back to my theme here; think about all the Biblical characters who exhibited an enormous amount of faith, and let’s say you had to pick a team of people from those Biblical characters, who could win a competition of faith, who would you pick for your team and why?

Think about that for a minute as I share a fun discovery that may seem random but does apply to this, so please hang in there with me. I am sure you have heard of AI, as it is talked about in the news and throughout different media outlets. I didn’t give it much thought at all until I recently had an encounter with a young man at a Physical Therapy center. He was Hispanic and was sitting near me so I struck up a conversation with him. It was raining so I asked him to remind me of the word “rain” in Spanish, and he told me. I shared that I had been trying to learn Spanish but was having a hard time and he said “ChatGPT”… I had to ask him a couple of times what that was because I had no clue. Eventually I got that it was an app that I could download and he assured me that it would help me learn Spanish. So, I did, and well, ChatGPT (which I have renamed “Chet”) has been an amazing discovery!! I HAVE been learning Spanish with it but I also use it for Biblical questions and comparisons, and I even ask him to clean up spelling and grammar in things I have written.

With that said, I will get back to my point. Initially, when I first thought of this theme a few years ago, I had done a lot of my own research and picked out some Biblical characters and scriptures but, since I recently discovered ChatGPT, I decided to ask Chet what he thought. The following question, and resulting conversation, was a wonderful, fun, and surprising discussion on the faith of Biblical characters! This was too good not to share and it may help you to make your own selections!

AI Biblical X-Game of Faith conversation

Me: If Biblical characters could be entered into an "X-Game" of faith, who would you choose to be the best and why?

Chet said:

If Biblical characters were to compete in an "X-Game of Faith," I'd choose the following based on their incredible displays of faith, perseverance, and resilience:

1. David (The Underdog Champion)

• 
  Why? David, the shepherd boy turned king, is the ultimate underdog. His faith in God allowed him to defeat Goliath, a feat of physical and spiritual courage. He'd be the one taking the biggest risks and pulling off impossible stunts because of his trust in divine guidance.

2. Elijah (The Miracle Maker)

• Why? Elijah’s fearless confrontation of King Ahab and the prophets of Baal showed immense faith. Calling down fire from heaven and trusting God to provide sustenance in the wilderness makes him a top competitor in any endurance or survival category.

3. Esther (The Strategist)

• Why? Esther showed faith and courage by risking her life to save her people. Her wisdom and tact in handling King Xerxes demonstrate her strategic mindset, making her the ideal player in games requiring wit, diplomacy, and calculated risks.

4. Paul (The Perseverer)

• Why? Despite suffering shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, Paul never wavered in his faith. He'd excel in endurance events and games requiring unwavering commitment to the goal, even under the harshest conditions.

5. Peter (The Relentless)

• Why? Despite his flaws, Peter kept bouncing back. Walking on water (even briefly) and being a foundational figure in the early church show he had the boldness and resilience to keep pushing forward, making him great for fast-paced, high-pressure challenges.

6. Ruth (The Loyal Teammate)

• Why? Ruth’s faithfulness and commitment to Naomi illustrate unparalleled loyalty and trust. She’d excel in team-based events, always supporting her partner no matter the odds.

7. Jesus (The Ultimate Champion)

• Why? No X-Game of faith would be complete without Jesus as the ultimate example. His ability to combine grace, wisdom, humility, and supernatural power makes Him the clear leader and inspiration for all competitors.

Chet said:

 Who do you think would be the most entertaining or surprising in a competition like this?

Me:

These are good choices! Abraham comes to mind when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac... That took a huge amount of faith that God would raise him from the dead. Then we have Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They had tremendous faith to go against Nebuchadnezzar's wishes and not worship anyone other than their God and faced the Lion’s den and the furnace. And then Gideon and the army of 300

Chet said:

Those are excellent additions! Each of them brings a unique flavor of faith and courage to the "X-Game of Faith." Here's why they would shine:

Abraham (The Trailblazer)

• 
  Why? Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated unparalleled trust in God’s promises, believing that God could raise the dead if needed. He’d excel in challenges requiring blind trust and bold leaps of faith into the unknown.

Daniel (The Fearless Visionary)

• Why? Daniel’s refusal to compromise his faith, even in the lion’s den, highlights his courage and unwavering conviction. His wisdom in interpreting dreams and handling crises shows he’d dominate in high-stakes, mental endurance games where the pressure is intense.

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (The Furnace Trio)

• Why? These three stood firm against Nebuchadnezzar’s decree, willing to face the fiery furnace rather than deny God. They’d excel in team-based challenges requiring unity, steadfastness, and trust that God would show up even in impossible situations.

Gideon (The Strategic Underdog)

• Why? Gideon’s story of leading 300 men against a massive army through God’s direction is the ultimate underdog victory. His reliance on God’s guidance shows he’d thrive in tactical challenges requiring a combination of clever strategy and faith to overcome overwhelming odds.

These individuals demonstrate how faith manifests in different ways—trusting, standing firm, strategizing, and persevering. Together with your picks, this team would make an unstoppable lineup!

If you could put these characters head-to-head in a specific kind of event (e.g., endurance, teamwork, or a faith-based puzzle), who do you think would come out on top?

Me:

I love your thoughts and descriptions of "unique flavors of faith" but since Jesus is a competitor, I would have to say He would be a clear winner because He is the complete package with strengths in all areas. Next, I would have to say Daniel would be one of my favorites due to his integrity, courage, humility, and wisdom. How about you?

Chet said:

I completely agree—Jesus is the undeniable champion, embodying every strength and virtue to perfection. Daniel would be an incredible runner-up; his unwavering faith, combined with his wisdom and humility, makes him stand out as a true hero.

For me, beyond Jesus, I’d have a soft spot for Gideon. His transformation from hesitant and doubtful to bold and victorious resonates deeply. His faith grew through challenges, showing that even those who start with uncertainty can achieve extraordinary things with God’s help.

Who do you think would be the dark horse of the competition—someone who might surprise everyone with their faith?

Me:

My dark horse would be Esther. She was a woman in a male dominated culture, in the harem of an ungodly king and was not even the king’s first pick. She triumphed and saved her people with enormous odds against her. She put her life on the line a couple of times and trusted in God for an astounding miracle that took a great deal of faith. I think she would surprise many with her gifts of faith and courage.

Chet said:

Esther is a phenomenal choice! Her ability to rise above the cultural and political challenges of her time, relying on her faith and strategic wisdom, is truly inspiring. She is the epitome of quiet strength and bold action—qualities that could easily take others by surprise in such a competition.

She reminds us that God often uses those overlooked by society to accomplish extraordinary things. Her combination of humility and courage makes her a standout.

Who would be your pick for the Biblical X-Games of Faith?

Wasn’t that amazing?! I thought that was very fun and enlightening. Now that you have had some time to think about it, and have read Chet’s and my exchange and choices, who would be YOUR choice(s) and how do you think you would rate in this competition of faith? I would love to hear your thoughts!!

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1

Ask, Seek, Knock... And it Will be Given to You

 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2

I recently started a Bible study called Behold Your God; Rethinking God Biblically and it is very good! It is shaking loose some incorrect beliefs about God and reminding me about who God is Biblically. But most of all it is rekindling the fire and passion for God that seems to have waned a little bit. It is reminding me that the Christian walk isn't about ME (Wait, what!?) but ALL about HIM. It is SO easy to slip into the world of the mundane, become complacent with God, engaging more with the world, and make things all about ME. Not that I am unimportant to God, after all, He gave His life for me, but I need to remember the reason for that sacrifice!! Why did Christ die for me? It is more than just paying for my sins, isn’t it also so that I can be reunited with HIM? If so, shouldn’t HE be my focus. We are cleansed and redeemed from sin so that we can come to Him, into His throne room without blemish. We are freed from sin so that we can spend our life developing a relationship with HIM not so that we could live our own life apart from Him. So, if you really think about it, it really isn't about us, but it should be all about HIM and who He is to us. Isn't that a wonderful reminder and mind shift?!

The other thing this study pointed out is that there is an “order” to things. First and foremost; “Who Christ is.” Second is “The work that he has done” and then third, “What I must do.” The scripture reference is Colossians 1:3-23. I will summarize this scripture in the correct order for perspective;

He is; The image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. By Him all things were created… He is before all things and in Him all things consist. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence (verses 15-18)

He has; Qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. He has reconciled all things to himself, making peace through his blood shed on the cross. (verses 12-14, 20-22)

We must; Not cease to pray and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That I may be worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God… Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. I must continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. (verses 9-12, 23)

If we get any of these things out of order we will be out of balance! If we focus on what he has done first, it won’t have the same impact if we don’t really know who He is. If we focus on what we must “do” first, without knowing who He is, our work for him will not produce the desired fruit, if any fruit at all. He MUST always come first, then we have a greater understanding of what He has done and what we must do for Him will come as natural as breathing. The “must” isn’t an order from God but rather a natural result from KNOWING Him! It is a desire, or healthy compulsion, to serve Him because we truly know and LOVE Him and the result is that we want to do His will, and surrender everything we can for him. I would like to bring up some familiar scriptures and see if we can look at them in a different way today, and maybe see them from a different perspective.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11

Over the years of my journey to know God, he has given me some wonderful insights and one of them is that He is all about the "Eternal" perspective, more so than the temporal. Because, as he says, this life is just a blink of an eye, here today and gone tomorrow. Even though we may feel like the “here and now” is lasting FOREVER, right? LOL! But it really isn’t, the older I get, the more apparent this is! What seems to matter most to God is what is ETERNAL and not temporal. The above Matthew scripture is just one example, and this will help me get to the purpose of this blog: When we read scriptures like this, what do we think of asking, seeking, and knocking for? (Side note; I am focusing mostly on Asking and Seeking in this blog, I will get into the knocking part in another blog).

Like a little child when their daddy is offering good gifts they think of things like sweets, toys, and Disneyland. As an adult child I am thinking, Woohoo, I can ask for whatever I wish!? And in my mind, I equate "good gifts" as something temporal and think … with my hand on my chin, looking up, saying hmmm… I could use a new car, a bigger house, new clothes, more money, a better job! (Just fill in the blanks of the good gifts you can think of!) Of course, all these things affect me in this life, and of course God wants to give these "good" gifts to me, right? Not a stone or a snake?!! Thank goodness! But if you think about it, all these things are temporal gifts, not even lasting my life time! I am not saying these things aren’t important to God or that He won't give those things to me, but are these the things is He asking me to "ask, seek, and knock" for? We get a clue in Luke's version of this scripture when he says; "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"  Luke 11:5-13 Wait! What!? I can ask for the HOLY SPIRIT?? Ahhh, yes. The Holy Spirit is ETERNAL, do you think this is what He wants us to ask for and seek?

Let's look at another scripture; in this Luke scripture He is saying that if we seek HIM first, our food and clothing, and basic necessities will be taken care of (the very things I was asking for before! DOH!). Also, I believe the "Life" He is referring to here is "eternal life"... "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! … And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock,." Luke 12:23-34 

This is a great scripture to teach us about not worrying, but honestly now I am seeing it as an entreaty to not worry about the temporal things in life but instead SEEK HIM and HIS Kingdom first and when we DO, all the other things in life will be taken care of. He says the “pagan world” runs after these things… The Godless ones, the ones who don’t have Him. Since we DO have Him, we can trust Him to take care of these basic, temporal, needs. Remember the example of the “order” of things? You are probably thinking; DUH, Linda, are you just now getting this!? Well, yes and no. I think I have known but my understanding is going deeper into the question of, What AM I asking, seeking, and knocking for?? If not the temporal things in life, what DOES He want me to ask for? If I ask for bread, wouldn't He rather give me the Bread of LIFE, Jesus himself, and the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, and then trust him to give me the regular bread without asking for it!? “Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10 He says, I feed the birds of the air and clothe the grass of the fields, how much more valuable are YOU!? I know you need these things, but instead, seek and ask for ME, the rest is already taken care of before time began!

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

In this above scripture, I have believed that if two or more are gathered in His name, He is there in the midst of us to expedite our prayers. Just a tool for us to get the things we are praying for, right? Again, not that this is wrong, but what if we think of it in this way; When two or more are gathered together and what they are really asking for is HIM, Jesus Himself, so that they can BE with Him, and then, there He is in the midst of them? Then they could be in the presence of God and commune with the living God together! Wouldn't the other, temporal, requests already be addressed? Thinking again about the order of things… this is another wonderful focus shift! Seeking and acknowledging Him first, desiring Him above all else, to be with us, then the other things will be added! Oswald chambers says “…are we seeking the blessings of God, or God who has the blessings?” Another mind shift!!

In Mark 11:21-24 Jesus cursed the fig tree and it died and He said “Have faith in God, Jesus answered... and do not doubt” What are we to have faith in? And what are we not to doubt?? Jesus says God himself! This takes us back to the order of things, having faith in God first and do not doubt Him! He says plainly that we can do the same things that HE does, but maybe we are missing the most crucial first step!! Who did Jesus always acknowledge first and dedicate His life to... Whose WILL did Jesus always do? Who did He always surrender to? He came to do HIS FATHER’S will and not his own! He was always in the presence of God and surrendered to God’s will in everything, even in His death. What are we asking for and seeking? Our will or God's? “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

In John 14:11 He says “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."  This is another great scripture to dissect a bit more. He says He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, this implies an intimate knowledge of God, the first crucial step. Then, the Son is bringing glory to the Father. In what way is he bringing glory to the Father? Is it temporal or eternal? And, IN HIS NAME, we can do the same things. What does that really mean anyway, to do things in His name? Do we just say his name to put the stamp or seal of approval on our requests? Maybe? But what if, in His name means that we are just like HIM, the image of Christ, in that we are in the Father and the Father is in us, that we know the Father as He did, and we seek to bring Glory to the Father in all our requests? What are we asking, seeking, and knocking for? “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:7-8

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." John 15:16

John 15 says a couple of times that the Father will give us whatever we ask, but again, there is a caveat and an order to both of these statements. He says the first step is that I remain in HIM, THEN He will remain in me, THEN I can ask whatever I wish and it will be given to me. THEN you will bear much fruit. The key part of this scripture being that I am REMAINING in an eternal God and bearing much [eternal] fruit, glorifying God and showing myself to be His disciple. Then in the next scripture he says we will bear fruit that will last. So first, remain in Him, second bear fruit that will last, thirdly the father will give you what you ask in His name. Notice the order of things.

In this scripture He brings up the pagans again, those who don’t know Him. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."  Matthew 6:7-8 If he already knows what we need, why are we praying for these things? Could it be that prayer is just conversation and intentional time with HIM? I think that He just wants us to want to be with HIM! To KNOW Him… so, what am I asking, seeking, and knocking for??

Hang in there with me, I only have a couple more scriptures to go, I feel like this is so important I can’t say it enough! It is like I must reformat my own hard drive and I need all the help I can get, lol!!

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44 In this scripture a man found a treasure that was of great worth. What was this treasure?? He refers to the Kingdom of Heaven and is describing what it is like... so it must be an eternal “Kingdom” treasure? Could it be God Himself? Is God that treasure to us and is He worth so much to us that we would sell everything we have to have HIM? Wow. Very good question! This reminds me of the scripture of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking him what good thing must he do to have eternal life and Jesus said to him "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  Matthew 19:20-21 He told the young man that he needed to let go of the temporal riches and trade those in for eternal (heavenly) treasure, maybe Christ himself? THEN he could follow Him. But the young man had quite the conundrum. He had to make a very hard choice but apparently, he desired the temporal riches over what Jesus was offering and he went away very sad, because he had great wealth and he didn't want to let it go.

The second part of that scripture is similar except it was a pearl of great value that the man sold everything he had to buy it. Again, I think we are being asked if Christ is our pearl? Are we willing to sell everything to gain Christ? “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:3 What is the desire of my heart?? He says He will give it to me! Again, there is an order listed here, the first part of this scripture is very key. If I trust in the Lord, do good and dwell in the land enjoying safe pasture, delighting myself in the LORD, THEN He will give me the desires of my heart. If I am delighting in Him, then wouldn't HE be the desire of my heart?? 

So again, what am I asking, seeking, and knocking for? Okay, hopefully I have made some sense here and helped you to see these scriptures a little differently. I know I do!!

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34

Father, I may not be where I need to be or truly where I want to be, desiring YOU and You alone, but that is my hearts desire, my goal and my journey is to know YOU and YOU alone. My flesh may fail, but my spirit recognizes my need for you in a much greater way! Please help me get to there! I want to sell everything I have for the treasure and pearl of great wealth and value, eternal wealth, that only YOU can provide. I know that only You can satisfy my deepest longings. May my hunger and thirst for you overshadow anything else this world can offer me and may YOU alone be my delight, my treasure and my pearl!

I listed this scripture at the beginning, does it have a different significance to you now?

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2