How do we keep our thoughts clean? These four steps have helped me to make sure that my desires stay in line with God’s command to stay sexually pure in our deeds, in our words, and our thoughts.
1. Pray to God for Strength
God knows what is best for us and knows our individual scenarios. What might work for one person might not work for you. By praying, God can send us His Spirit to give us an individualized next step that can lead us to maintaining pure thoughts. This also reminds us of the Savior Atonement and ability He has to overcome our weaknesses if we but have faith in him and act on the Spirit’s promptings.
2. Make a Plan
After praying to know what we can do as individuals to keep our thoughts pure, it is up to us to create a plan. Think about what times you are personally most vulnerable to think impure thoughts. Is it when you watch a certain Netflix series? Is it when you hang around a certain of friend group? Is it on the days you forget to read your scriptures? Identify these times of weakness and resolve to cut out activities that lead to impure thoughts or plan to do positive things that help to prevent having impure thoughts.
3. Replace Bad Thoughts with Good Ones
Bad thoughts naturally come into our minds as fallen human beings. This is not a sin but dwelling on this thought and entertaining it is what will lead to impure thoughts. When an impure thought comes across our mind, it helps to hum our favorite church hymn or to remember our favorite scripture until the thought goes away. Evil and good couldn’t co-exist so there is nothing better than a thought directed towards God to conquer a dirty or bad thought.
4. Get Up and Do Something
Sometimes impure thoughts seem to hang around and it is hard to move on. Getting off the couch and going for a run or spending time with family and friends help so that we won’t dwell on an impure thought. If we are being active and moving, then our minds have less space and time to wander to dark places.
Take the time to involve God and plan how you can better control your thoughts. God will help you not only stay sexually pure but also to become a better person if you only do your best and have faith in his Son Jesus Christ’s healing and enabling power. I have seen this in my life and invite you to start today and see how being sexually pure will improve your relationship with God and your life.
Read my first blog about how our thoughts affect us sexually here.
