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NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

When was the last time you awakened to a swirl of anxious, out-of-control thoughts?

Perhaps you were overwhelmed with the weight of worry, the fear of failing, or the grip of guilt. The way we think directly impacts our joy and peace. In Tame Your Thoughts, Max Lucado provides three biblical and practical tools to renew your mind and transform your life.

Our thoughts have consequences. Most people would agree that positive thoughts generate positive actions. Negative thoughts activate negative behavior. But do we understand that we can manage our lives by managing our thoughts? Not only does neuroscience back this concept, but the idea is also embedded throughout Scripture. "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom.12:2 esv). Tame your thoughts and transform your life!

Stuck in your head? Hounded by regrets? Weighed down by worry? Change is possible! The thoughts that have characterized your past need not characterize the rest of your life. You will learn to:

Take thoughts captive
Test each message against the truth of Scripture
Interrupt poisonous thought threads
Think and act like Jesus

If God can resurrect the dead, can he not resurrect hope? Defy depression? Clarify confusion? Silence shame? Destroy doubt? Banish bitterness?

Take God at his word. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7 nkjv, emphasis added). With God as their helper, you will discover a new way of thinking and a better way of living. A new person will begin to emerge.

We can tame each thought, friends." This description is from the book's Amazon sales page. The bulk of my review is in the "further comments" section near the bottom.

People who want to tame their thoughts, especially Christians.

The practical advice and interesting stories.

Read more.

Positive and encouraged.

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About the Author

Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as the teaching minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is the recipient of the 2021 ECPA Pinnacle Award for his outstanding contribution to the publishing industry and society at large. He is America's bestselling inspirational author with more than 150 million products in print.

Visit his website at MaxLucado.com

Facebook.com/MaxLucado

Instagram.com/MaxLucado

X.com/MaxLucado

Youtube.com/MaxLucadoOfficial

The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast" from the book's Amazon sales page.

It was a great read for me.

This was a great book for me, even though I knew most of the concepts behind it. Max Lucado shared so many personal stories and fun phrases that it felt fun (granted, I'm a personal development geek) to listen to (I listened to the audio book version) and made the main points memorable.

My favorite part was probably the stories, though the last chapter and conclusion are parts I plan to give a re-listen to, especially as I think the last one will help me with decluttering and I've made a big commitment in that department that starts February 1, 2026 (it's January 30, 2026 as I write this).

I did use a gift credit to get the audible book. It's not a cheap one, as it's listed for $20.69 at the moment, but the ebook / Kindle version is on sale at this moment for $3.99, which is a lot less expensive.

SPOILER ALERT Don't read the next section if you don't want a spoiler.

The three tools are:

Tool 1: Picky Thinking: Just because you have a thought doesn't mean you have to "think" it. Filter your thoughts and ask, "Would Jesus think this way?" "Does this thought honor God?" A less Christian oriented question could be "Would this thought help me reach my goals?" or "Does this thought help me be the person I want to be/ live my best life?"

Tool 2: Identify "UFOs" In this context, UFO stands for: Untruths,
False Narratives,
Overreactions.

He says it's common for untruths to lead to false narratives and for those to lead to overreactions.

Tool 3: Uproot and Replant: This is the "thought extraction" tool. It involves pulling up the "weeds" of UFOs / unhelpful thoughts, and replanting that space with the truth of Scripture.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is "Your brain is an editable manuscript, not a published book... write today’s worries in sand. Chisel yesterday’s victories in stone."

This book came out last August and is still #1-#3 in three big categories on the Amazon bestsellers list at the time I am writing this review.

"Best Sellers Rank: #1,815 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

#1 in Christian Inspirational
#3 in Christian Inspiration
#3 in Christian Self-Help"

It averages 4.8 stars for reviews on Amazon and 4.6 stars on Goodreads as of the time I am writing this review.

For me, it's a five star book. It's rare that I wish the author would keep going, and that was the case for me with this book. I'm glad I own it and can re-listen anytime.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life   from Amazon.Com!

Created Jan 30, 2026 at 3:20pm • Submit your own review...