Fixing My Thoughts
January 26, 2014//
Topics to Dig Into
Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one
final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and
pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise.
final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and
pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and
worthy of praise.
For the
most part, I don’t worry. Maybe that’s a
character flaw, but I’m a glass ½ full kind of gal.
most part, I don’t worry. Maybe that’s a
character flaw, but I’m a glass ½ full kind of gal.
Oh, I
used to worry! I’d lie awake all night
stewing. I’d concoct what-if scenarios and
imagine the worst. I’d play out
potential reactions and solutions. I was
stressed and I was tired and everyone paid the price. At some point (I was probably in some Bible
study) I consciously decided to start trusting God – believing God was good and
capable and in control.
used to worry! I’d lie awake all night
stewing. I’d concoct what-if scenarios and
imagine the worst. I’d play out
potential reactions and solutions. I was
stressed and I was tired and everyone paid the price. At some point (I was probably in some Bible
study) I consciously decided to start trusting God – believing God was good and
capable and in control.
I
decided I wouldn’t worry about anything that was out of my control – like other
people’s actions. When I lay awake with
my head spinning, I prayed myself back to sleep and hoped God didn’t mind being
used as a sleep aide. When I started thinking
about a problem, I determined to pray about it instead of stew. Every time my mind wandered away from prayer,
I pulled it back into conversation with God.
I fixed my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, and pure.
decided I wouldn’t worry about anything that was out of my control – like other
people’s actions. When I lay awake with
my head spinning, I prayed myself back to sleep and hoped God didn’t mind being
used as a sleep aide. When I started thinking
about a problem, I determined to pray about it instead of stew. Every time my mind wandered away from prayer,
I pulled it back into conversation with God.
I fixed my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, and pure.
It
worked! I slept better, but over the
long term God changed me. I am far more
relaxed about life now. It’s not that I
don’t care about things, but I trust that God has a plan and eventually works everything
for good. I try to see the silver
lining.
worked! I slept better, but over the
long term God changed me. I am far more
relaxed about life now. It’s not that I
don’t care about things, but I trust that God has a plan and eventually works everything
for good. I try to see the silver
lining.
Do you have
more thoughts about what you lack than gratitude for what you have? Are you more focused on your problems than
you are on our God who is able to work all things for good? Can you see past a person’s flaws to see the
good?
more thoughts about what you lack than gratitude for what you have? Are you more focused on your problems than
you are on our God who is able to work all things for good? Can you see past a person’s flaws to see the
good?
Stop
staring at your problems and think about things that are excellent and worthy
of praise!
staring at your problems and think about things that are excellent and worthy
of praise!