"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

The sky was blue. The snow crisp white. The mountain slopes full of choices to be made. Which run will we take?

We decided to tackle a "blue run" first.

The ski officials label the slopes by color. The same officials whose job it is to inform skiers exactly what they're about to get into. Yes, those of us crazy enough to strap glorified popsicle sticks to our feet and careen down a mountain need to be informed.

Green for beginners. Blue for intermediates. Black for advanced and those who think they're advanced until they get too far to turn back. Bummer.

We decided we would be smart. We wouldn't overestimate our skiing abilities by tackling the black runs. But blue? Yes, please.

The perfect skiing adventure.

Until.

The moguls.

We'd been on several lovely runs down the same slope when it was suggested we try a different slope. Huh? I am emotionally allergic to different. I like to discover something that's good and stick with it. Why mess with what's working? With what feels good?

"It will be great," they insisted and headed over to the new lift.

Either I was going to follow along or be left behind. That's when I had my first not-so-nice thought. I call them cussing thoughts. It's not that I was actually saying cuss words. No, more like really negative thoughts that I wouldn't want to broadcast out loud.

So, a new slope it would be.

Things started out well. And then the slope got a little interesting. Have you ever heard, "Everything was going fine until we hit a bump in the road"? Yes, well, try a steep mountain full of nothing but bumps. Like the kind that could catapult you off the side of the mountain. Or snap your legs in half.

As fear coursed through every fiber of my body, my mind filled with all things negative and derogatory. Things that were not going to make that trip down the slope an easy one.

What I really needed was to resist the cussing thoughts so I could choose the corrected thoughts. Because dark thoughts are like a black run down the mountain. Once you get on the black slope of cussing thoughts they'll take you down to places you don't want to go.

But in that moment, I didn't choose the corrected thoughts. I made that run so much more difficult by letting the cussing thoughts come in and bring me down.

How like life.

Every day we're going to hit bumpy spots.

Someone will do something that rubs you wrong. Cussing thoughts or corrected thoughts?

You don't get that opportunity you felt you deserved. Cussing thoughts or corrected thoughts?

A cussing thought can become a corrected thought by asking three questions:

* Is this thought in line with truth?

* Is this thought in line with who I am?

* Is this thought in line with who I want to be?

God has taught me how to think using His truth but I have to make the choice to apply what I've learned.

God has challenged me to live out Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

"Hold unswervingly. Hold. Unswervingly." What does this mean?

God has challenged me to grow in my knowledge of Him but I have to choose whether or not to display this growth through my thoughts and actions.

Think according to truth. Live according to truth. Then His hope will be displayed in my life.

Just like mountain slopes have options for which run to take... so do I with the thoughts I think. Cussing thoughts or corrected thoughts. My choice.

Dear Lord, I am so grateful for Your truth. Give me strength today as I hit some bumpy spots. Make my thoughts pure and in alignment with Your Word. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

***

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

If you missed Lysa TerKeurst's webcast on how to combat negative inside chatter, click here to watch the replay!

Feel like your thoughts are making you want to come unglued? In her New York Times best-selling book, Lysa teaches how to take control of your feelings in order to have godly reactions. Click here to purchase your copy of Unglued.

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Reflect and Respond:

What cussing thoughts are you having today?

Write down one you're struggling with. Then, write down a corrected, truth-based thought to replace it with.

Power Verses:

Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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." (NIV)