DAY ONE
All authority has
been given to me . . .
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
MATTHEW 28:18
YOU HAVE TO ADMIT some of our hearts are trashed out. Let any riffraff knock on the door, and we throw it open. Anger shows up, and we let him in. Revenge needs a place to stay, so we have him pull up a chair. Pity wants to have a party, so we show him the kitchen. Lust rings the bell, and we change the sheets on the bed. Don’t we know how to say no?
Many don’t. For most of us, thought management is, well, unthought of. We think much about time management, weight management, personnel management, even scalp management. But what about thought management? Shouldn’t we be as concerned about managing our thoughts as we are about managing anything else? Jesus was. Like a trained soldier at the gate of a city, he stood watch over his mind. He stubbornly guarded the gateway of his heart. Many thoughts were denied entrance. Need an example?
How about arrogance? On one occasion the people determined to make Jesus their king. What an attractive thought. Most of us would delight in the notion of royalty. Even if we refused the crown, we would enjoy considering the invitation. Not Jesus. “Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself ” (John 6:15 MSG).
1. What advice did King David give to his son Solomon, according to 1 Chronicles 28:9?
2. In his turn, Solomon did the urging. What does Proverbs 16:3 command? What will be the consequence?
3. Which of these scriptural truths can you apply to your own walk of faith?
___ It’s wise to observe how faithful followers live their lives (Hebrews 12:1).
___ The greatest source of joy is found in what is unseen (1 Peter 1:8).
___ Since God’s love is made perfect in us, we can show his compassion by helping others (1 John 3:16–18).
___ Challenges are a fact of life, but a faithful heart always has hope (Romans 12:12).
4. Even when we make thought management a priority, we let our guard slip, and sin enters. What encouragement can we find in the words of Isaiah 55:7?
5. What promise does the wise man give in Proverbs 22:5?
Jesus guarded his heart. If he did, shouldn’t we do the same? Most certainly! “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Proverbs 4:23 NCV). Jesus wants your heart to be fertile and fruitful. He wants you to have a heart like his. That is God’s goal for you. He wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 NCV). But how? The answer is surprisingly simple. We can be transformed if we make one decision: I will submit my thoughts to the authority of Jesus.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards his soul will be far from them.
PROVERBS 22:5
6. What does each of these verses teach us about guarding our hearts?
• Proverbs 13:6
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3
• Philippians 4:7
It’s easy to overlook a significant claim made by Christ at the conclusion of Matthew’s gospel. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18 NIV). Jesus claims to be the CEO of heaven and earth. He has the ultimate say on everything, especially our thoughts. He has more authority, for example, than your parents. Your parents may say you are no good, but Jesus says you are valuable, and he has authority over parents. He even has more authority over you than you do. You may tell yourself that you are too bad to be forgiven, but Jesus has a different opinion. If you give him authority over you, then your guilty thoughts are no longer allowed.
7. What are the thoughts of our Lord toward us, according to Jeremiah 29:11?
8. Jesus was given authority over heaven and earth—that’s on the grand scale. But he also has authority over his own—you and me. What do we learn about this earth’s CEO from the following verses? Match them up.
| ___ Matthew 7:28-29 | a. Jesus has the authority to give eternal life. |
| ___ John 3:35 | b. Jesus has the authority to judge. |
| ___ John 5:26-27 | c. Jesus is under his Father’s authority. |
| ___ John 14:10 | d. Jesus taught with authority. |
| ___ John 17:1-2 | e. In the end, everyone will acknowledge Jesus’ authority. |
| ___ Philippians 2:9-11 | f. God gave all things into Jesus’ hand. |
Jesus also has authority over your ideas. Suppose you have an idea that you want to rob a grocery store. Jesus, however, has made it clear that stealing is wrong. If you have given him authority over your ideas, then the idea of stealing cannot remain in your thoughts.
See what I mean by authority? To have a pure heart, we must submit all thoughts to the authority of Christ. If we are willing to do that, he will change us to be like him. 
