Genesis 6:5-6 (NLT) says:
“The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.”
This verse stopped me in my tracks, especially the first part. God didn’t just observe their actions—He looked at their thoughts. He saw that their minds and imaginations were consistently and totally evil. It wasn’t just what they did; it was what they thought that caused Him sorrow.
Think about the weight of this. God regretted creating humans not solely because of their deeds, but because of their thoughts. Their thoughts broke His heart. This reminds me how serious our thought life is before God.
Sometimes, we allow ourselves to entertain negative, harmful, or ungodly thoughts and don’t even feel the need to repent because we didn’t say them aloud or act on them. But remember, the Bible says, “Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). In Scripture, the heart often refers to the mind or the subconscious. Our thoughts, over time, shape our reality.
If we think about it, sin begins with a thought. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:28 that even looking at someone with lustful intent is equivalent to committing adultery. This shows how God views our thoughts as the root of our actions. Capturing evil thoughts before they take root is crucial, because once sin is acted out, it has already lived in the mind.
Sometimes, we think so badly or lowly about ourselves that it displeases God. Imagine how the Bible describes God creating you as “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), yet in your thoughts, you call yourself ugly. Imagine God’s promise in Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”, but you worry every day about what you’ll have for lunch. David even said in Psalm 37:25: “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread.”
Yet we let our minds spiral into worry, doubting God’s provision. God says, “By His stripes you are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), but we think about funerals and fear that sickness will end our lives. God says, “You will be the head and not the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:13), but we tell ourselves we’ll never amount to anything.
These thoughts grieve God. When He created us, He declared us “good”. Imagine how it pains Him to see us believe the lies of the enemy, the father of lies (John 8:44), over the truth of His Word. We need to capture every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
When a thought comes, examine it: Is this from God? If not, reject it. Unchecked thoughts can give the enemy a foothold. For example, how do people end up in situations like prostitution? It starts with a thought: “I’m not enough. I don’t have enough.” That thought grows, festers, and becomes a plan. They think, “Maybe if I just do this once to help my family…” That one thought leads to sin, and sin becomes a stronghold.
I remember one day my daughter fell sick, and we had to rush her to the hospital at 3 a.m. It was a freezing cold morning, and we were bundled up in jackets, socks, and the car’s heater was on. When we got to Kilimani, we saw prostitutes standing by the roadside, dressed skimpily in that biting cold, advertising themselves and flagging down customers.
My first thought was, “Aren’t they freezing?” But more than that, I thought about how they ended up there. That behaviour started with a thought—one that wasn’t taken captive. Now they’re bound by sin, standing in the cold, suffering in ways they didn’t imagine. But the beautiful truth is that Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18).
Let this be a reminder. Thoughts matter. They shape who we become. Take hold of every thought that doesn’t come from God. Surrender it to Him, and replace it with His truth.
Pray today for a renewed mind, and remember to ask God to forgive not just your actions but even your thoughts. His grace is sufficient, and He is faithful to help us live in freedom and truth.
Have a beautiful, reflective day 🖤.