One of the most searched topics here is, “What does the Bible say about our thoughts?” And with good reason! As Christians, we want to live like Jesus, and that also means thinking like Jesus. I remember wondering if Jesus really cared about what I was thinking. Green highlighter in hand through the books of Psalms and Proverbs revealed a resounding YES! Today, let’s look at 2 Kings 5:13 and the Bible and our thoughts.
The Power of One Thought Shift– Too Simple?
“Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”
—2 Kings 5:13 NLT
We tend to believe healing has to be hard. That if it doesn’t cost us everything—if it doesn’t leave us exhausted and empty—then it must not be real.
But that’s not how God works. Yes, God wants us to pick up our mat and start the healing walk. But He wants to meet us in the walk. Sometimes, He invites us into a radical transformation that begins with a simple act of obedience — “Go and wash…Pick up your mat…” A simple moment of surrender. And for us, picking a new thought is the same small decision as picking up our mat or going to wash in the river.
That kind of simplicity, though? Sometimes offends our overworked, overwhelmed, hustle-hard brains. Let’s talk about why.
We Prepare for the Hard, But Resist the Simple
In 2 Kings 5, Naaman — a powerful commander — was desperate for healing from leprosy. He heard there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him. He was probably expecting a dramatic encounter: a spectacle, a price to be paid, a vow to be kept. But Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. Instead, he sent a message:
“Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.”
Naaman was confused, offended, and then furious! He was ready to climb a mountain, fight a battle, or maybe even pay a fortune for his healing. Instead, he ended up storming off in offense because the command was just too basic.
But thank God for the wisdom of his servant: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not do something simple?”
That one verse! Truth be told, I see myself in it! Maybe you do, too? How many times have you cried out for peace, but resisted the stillness? (Ouch, that one stung a little.) You’ve begged for a breakthrough, but ignored the small instruction? The very one that was the answer to your prayer. You ignored it because it didn’t look or “feel” like you thought it would…and here you are, still spiraling in negative thought loops and suffocating in your overwhelm. You plead for God to speak, but ignore the whisper?
Your Mind Doesn’t Need to Be a War Zone
For so long, I thought my chaotic thoughts were just “normal.” You know what I’m talking about.
- The constant spiral of what-ifs.
- The shame over my own emotions.
- The guilt of feeling overwhelmed despite having a good life.
I believed peace was for other women — the ones with fewer kids, quieter houses, calmer personalities, or more “together” lives. Talk about kicking someone when they’re down! And I did it to myself every single day!!
But then God gently started showing me the truth:
- I wasn’t broken.
- I wasn’t lazy.
- I wasn’t ungrateful.
I was simply overloaded with unmanaged thoughts. I had never been taught that I could decide what and when and how I wanted to think. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And I definitely didn’t know about the Bible and our thoughts!
I was so much like Naaman, I wanted the healing — but I didn’t want it to be that easy. I’d learned to expect that real growth required big suffering. I thought everything had to be hard. I even thought that was what I was worthy of — the pain, the suffering, the hard. There’s no way I was going to get out of this easily.
But Jesus said His burden is light.
The Bible and Our Thoughts
That’s the message behind the Thought Renewal Blueprint I created — not just because I believe in it, but because I lived it. I didn’t get a new personality. My circumstances didn’t change. I didn’t finally get a quiet, predictable life.
I got a renewed mind. And it started with one question:
“Is this the thought serving me?”
Not: “Is it true?”
Not: “Is it helpful?”
But: “Do I want to keep thinking this?”
That one question helped me recognize the spirals. The lies. The constant sense of dread. It helped me interrupt the old patterns and begin practicing new ones. Romans 12:2 says:
“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (NLT)
There was so much freedom to be found when I realized I didn’t have to change everything all at once. I just had to start with one thought. And then, let God begin the quiet work, the holy work of helping me change one more thought, one at a time. There was also so much wisdom to be found in the Scriptures, realizing what the Bible says about our thoughts.
Why We Overcomplicate Our Healing
Let’s revisit this thought — I think sometimes we make peace harder than it needs to be because we don’t feel worthy. We think if we don’t struggle enough, we’re not striving enough, or working out our salvation with fear and trembling, or living a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
So we stay in chaos. We keep spinning. We keep journaling and venting and crying to our best friend, searching for pretty Scripture quotes or inspirational memes that hit a temporary nerve. Friend, we’re not working from the inside out, pulling up our old thought weeds and planting new seeds. And then we wonder why nothing changes…because we haven’t actually changed anything!
Naaman almost walked away from his healing because the solution didn’t match his pain. Because the command didn’t look hard enough. Because it wasn’t anything like what he expected.
But thank God for someone in his life who said, “Maybe it doesn’t need to be so complicated.”
I want to be that voice for you today, friend.
Simplicity is Not Laziness — It’s Obedience
Changing your thoughts doesn’t mean faking it. It doesn’t mean denying your pain or slapping on a Bible verse and calling it good. We’re not looking for a band-aid, we’re after transformation!
We are boldly submitting our thought life to the Lord — so He can breathe truth into it. We are learning and practicing the Biblical command to take every thought captive. In this process, we’re not going to punish ourselves, we’re going to partner with God in renewing our minds. We’re just going to choose to believe that God is working for us. We’re going to believe everything is going ot work out. We’re going to believe that we’re capable and equipped and the life we want to live is just on the other side!
We’re going to choose to believe the most beautifully simple truth:
I don’t have to think this way anymore.
I can choose peace.
I can be made new — one thought at a time.
Your Next Step: Go and Wash
Naaman finally went down into that muddy water. Nothing fancy. No angels or thunder. Just obedience. And he came up healed.
I don’t know what your “Jordan River” is right now. But I know that your healing might be on the other side of a small step of faith.
Changing your life doesn’t require moving mountains — it starts with renewing your mind.
That’s what I walk you through step-by-step in the Thought Renewal Blueprint—a practical, Scripture-based, science-backed process to help you take hold of your thought life and experience real change.
Not someday. Not once your life is quieter. Not when your kids are grown, your job is better, your husband is nicer, and your house is bigger. Right now. Right now, in the midst of it all.
If you’re ready, your simple instruction is waiting:
➡️ Start with the Thought Renewal Blueprint
Let’s not overcomplicate what God made simple. You are not far from peace, friend. You’re one thought away.
With love and full belief in your transformation,
Jenny
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