Tame Your Thoughts: A Book Review

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

For many years, I made it a habit to read a Max Lucado book over Lent. I had gotten out of the habit of doing this until this year, when I decided to read one of Lucado’s latest books, Tame Your Thoughts. In his book, Lucado offers three thought management tools to take thoughts captive, test each message against the truth of scripture, interrupt poisonous thought threads, and think and act like Jesus.

According to Lucado, we can manage our lives by managing our thoughts. Neuroscientists have found that our brains are less like concrete and more like putty. Our brains are malleable and adaptable. We do not have to accept that we will always be led by our thoughts. We can change the way we think, and a new you will emerge as new thoughts take hold.

To tame our thoughts, we must practice picky thinking and identify falsehoods that lead to false negatives and overreactions. We can then eliminate unhealthy thought patterns and replace them with divine truth. With his easy-to-read, often humorous writing, Max clearly shows how to use these tools so that we are not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewal of our minds. (Romans 12:2, paraphrased)

It is not God's will that you trudge through life dragging your regrets and dreading your future. Max Lucado

Since I tend to overthink, my mind often produces false negatives, leading me to believe things are worse than they are. Without a filter, those negative thoughts can run rampant, ruining my life in the present. This book has been a blessing because Lucado helped me see the untruths that fuel my anxiety. He has taught me to recognize falsehoods and replace them with the truth Christ offers us.

This book does not ignore the negative things that happen in our lives but puts those things that worry us into perspective. In Corinthians, Paul tells us, “We have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV) And the mind of Christ would never fill with worrisome thoughts because He knows that God is good and in control.

I remember a time when berating thoughts filled my mind over something I said. As I became overwhelmed with these negative thoughts, it occurred to me that Jesus would never talk to me like this. He might gently admonish me for something I said, but he would never fill my head with continuous belittling thoughts.

Once I realized that these thoughts were coming from Satan or one of his minions, I was able to ask Jesus to come into my mind and cover these thoughts with His. As I sat in his presence, He reminded me how precious I was to Him, that He had created me with great love, and that He would love me into eternity. It only took a few minutes in the presence of Christ to turn my thoughts around and to believe again in my value.

In the book, Lucado discusses the key idea he wishes to instill in our minds: "God's grip on you isn't reliant on your grip on him. Miss this and you miss joy! Miss this and you miss peace! Miss this and you miss out on the most amazing revelation: God's got you!" (page 154) This doesn't deny that we will face challenges, regrets, and sorrow, but it serves as a reminder that although we are unaware of what the future holds, God knows. He is already there, ready to lead us through whatever we encounter.

If you find yourself going down a negative road of worry, this would be an excellent book to read. I pray that you will gain the strength and courage from this book that I did.