Thursday thoughts: Change the noise to scripture By JILL JOHNSON Thursday, July 24, 2025 If you came into my house after bedtime every night, all you would hear would be sound machines going. Wayne and I do not use one, but when we open our bedroom door, that is really all we can hear. I assume we are not the only household that has sound machines running at night. When my grandchildren were born, both my daughter's household and my son's household ran sound machines. The point was to drown out the noise of the voices in the house so that they would not wake the babies. Peaceful sleep was the main goal, probably for the parents as much as the children. Normally, the sound machines are set on "white noise." The definition of white noise is a "constant background noise that drowns out other sounds." Again, the goal was to replace the background noise of a household with a constant sound to drown out any other voices or commotion that might be happening. I have thought about this "replacement" noise lately. I really believe this is addressed in scripture. I don't know about you, but the noise in my head can be damaging at times. I can be my own worst enemy. Here is what I mean. I can convince myself that I said something that might have hurt someone's feelings, said something I should not have said, dwell on something that someone else has said about me, and my list could go on and on. If I think on these things too long, they become harmful because I tend to believe what I am thinking is the real truth. I can become paranoid wondering if other people are talking about me or if I have done something to really mess up. Maybe it's just me, but honestly, I think we all probably struggle at one time or another with the noise in our heads. So, what do we do to win this battle of our thoughts and our mind? We hold the key when we open our Bible and read and meditate on the Word. God's Word instructs us to take every thought captive. When we take our thoughts captive, we are not letting our thoughts control us because we are striving to control what we are thinking and dwelling on. We have to stop the thoughts that are not pleasing to God nor beneficial to our wellbeing before they have a chance to land in our hearts. If we allow them to land in our hearts, they become a part of who we "think" we are or what we "assume" others are thinking of us. The truth is we must focus on who God says we are. One of my favorite verses that I have to remind myself of quite often is 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." Whew! That pretty much covers anything and everything that represents God. We must focus our attention on God's character and the good things that come from our relationship with Him. Replace the worldly noise with God's Word. Is it always easy? For me, the answer is no. Is it necessary? The answer to that question is a definite yes! The only way to overcome the influx of negative thoughts in our minds is to replace those thoughts with God's Word. When I pray and ask God to keep my thoughts pure and on Him, I have taken my thoughts captive. Not only does this settle the noise in my mind, but it also keeps my heart from hurting. The truth in the Word of God will ease your mind and lighten your load... always! My advice to all of us is to not let the noise of this world control your mind and your thoughts. Be aware of what the enemy is trying to do. Fight the battle with the tools that God has given to us. I don't know about you, but my sound machine of scripture is going to be running in my mind. I want to drown out the noise of this world. I want to take captive my thoughts as I focus on the goodness, grace, mercy, faithfulness, and love of my wonderful Savior. Those words are the only sounds that are music to my ears and peace for my soul. ___ Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org. --- PULLQUOTES --- Quote: The only way to overcome the influx of negative thoughts in our minds is to replace those thoughts with God's Word. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20230105-130542-Jill Johnson thumbnail.jpg Caption: Jill Johnson