It's All In Your Mind!

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.

Philippians 4:8

 

This may seem like a smack to the back of the head, but please bear with me.  What makes our day a "good" day or a "bad" day?  Believe it or not, it is not our circumstances; it's not our coworkers; it's not our bosses; it's not the public with whom we must interact; it's not our spouse; it's not our paycheck.....it's your mind!  

 

You see, if we allow outside forces to dictate our day...we are slaves, because we have surrendered our power to choose to our circumstances!  We can NOT control what happens TO us, but we CAN control how we react to what happens to us!  Therefore, when we consciously CHOOSE to focus on things that are positive, our attitude will follow.  If we go through our day on "autopilot" then we are controlled by circumstance.

 

God gave us a mind to use, not to let it idle through life in neutral.  God gives us HIS power to choose how we will act and react.  If we choose not to make use of His gift, then we are CHOOSING to bounce aimlessly from emotion to emotion.  Isn't it time we took back the power God has given us to control our minds and, thus, our attitudes?

What Are You Thinking?

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

 

I've been reading a book about Cognitive Therapy which is extremely interesting.  According to the author, our bodies can not function without a command from our minds.  Even our "automatic" functions such a breathing and blinking require a command from our minds.  Our moods are a decision we make, believe it or not. If I want to change my mood, I have to make the conscious to not only change my thinking, but change my actions as well.  If I need to change a habit, I must make the conscious decision to replace that habit with a better habit.

 

Given that our minds are so powerful, shouldn't we be careful what we allow in?  

Train Your Brain

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

Have you ever stopped to consider who controls your mind?  Who controls what you think?  Our minds are sponges, absorbing whatever we allow into them. And, once absorbed, these thoughts come back as words and actions.

 

If we allow negativity to fill our minds, guess what? We will be negative people. Always seeing the negative in others.  If we allow anger and bitterness to fill our minds, guess what?  We will be angry and bitter people, constantly tearing down others.  However, if we allow positivity to fill our minds, guess what? We will be positive people building others up.

Remember, "What's in you well, comes up in your bucket."  Yes, I'm speaking to me too.

 

  

Think But Not Overthink!

I have a problem.  I'm not sure if it is part of being an Introvert or just my own struggle.  You see, I have this tendency of overthinking.  Now, one of my favorite past times is to contemplate, meditate and think.  I find it refreshing.  However, there are times when I can think during the day and my mind is at peace, yet when I close my eyes to sleep the little whispers sneak out and I begin overthinking the weirdest things.  My mind fixates on the way said something to me, their vocal intonations, their timbre, their expression, their body language, then there comes the evaluating every possible meaning of what was said.  Because of this, sleep become elusive, anxiety grabs hold and I end up exhausted when the alarm sounds in the morning.

Yeah, I know...."You've got quite the problem, Padre."  Really?  Am I the only one who overthinks things?  I'm willing to bet not.  Where do we let out minds dwell?  

God gave us a mind to think.  One of the wonderful things about our minds is the fact we can focus our thoughts, yet that can also be one of the most dangerous things about our minds as well.  Where do you focus your mind?  Or, perhaps, you just let it wander aimlessly about peeking around corners, poking into the closets and corners, peering through the windows of your brain.  

When Paul tells us to "SET YOUR MINDS" he is tell us to focus our thoughts on God!  Focusing takes conscious effort and can be exhausting, but where our minds go so too do we.  Your mind wanders to hatred...you will be a very angry person.  Your mind wanders to lust...you will devalue others.  Where you mind goes, there you will be!

What Are Your Thoughts?

Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do.

Romans 8:5 

 

The mind is an amazing thing, isn't it?  Just consider some of the things minds have done: Created the airplane, designed skyscrapers, decided that snails were tasty, found that peanut bitter makes everything better, decided that adding cheese to a hamburger patty was a good thing, figured out how to make indoor plumbing a reality, painted the Sistine Chapel, carved David from a block of marble...the list is endless.  But there are other things our minds have come up with: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and far too many others to contemplate.

 

Guess what makes these two creations different?  The focus of our minds!  I am one of those weird people who believe that our minds take the information we feed it, and processes it into actions.  Therefore, we have to be EXTREMELY careful what we allow into our minds!  Where your mind is, your actions will follow!

Thankful for Thinking

 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.

Philippians 4:8 

Did you know that everything we say and do is preceded by a thought?  Every breath and other automatic responses of our body is regulated by a thought from the limbic portion of the brain.  Then we have the part of the brain that determines what we think about and what we say and some of the more manual motor skills.  And guess from where all these thoughts are being issued?  That's right, our brain.

So, let me ask you....what do you fill your brain with?  The brain is just one of God's amazing gifts and, if used properly, can benefit all those around us.  The brain...that old grey goop that keeps our ears from slapping together.  That incredible information sponge that soaks up a lot more than we think.  Yet, what do we put into this sponge?

Look at what Paul reminds us to fill our minds with: things that are true and honorable; things that are right and pure; things that are lovely and admirable; things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Did you find anything about gossip?  How about anything about how you can get ahead in your career?  Did you see anything about lust or adultery or anything negative?  Why?  Because our thoughts are controlled by the things we fill our brains with.  Fill your mind with the positive and the things for which we should be thankful, then you will see positive people.  Fill your mind with rubbish and you will see negative people.

Thankful for such an incredible gift as a mind!  Fill it carefully!

#dailythankfulchallenge 

Just Thinking....

Be careful how you think for your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Proverbs 4:23

Remember the old computer adage "Garbage In, Garbage Out"?  Yeah, I'm old enough to remember that and you may stop chuckling any time now.  The reason I bring it up is so we can consider our minds.  Think about all that out minds absorb every single day.  Our eyes see things, our ears hear things, our nose smells things, out skin touches things, and the mind processes everything (whether we like it, understand it, or not).

I've noted before that one of my favorite theologians is George Carlin for the mere fact that he  made me think.  He got it right when he said, "The church was all about the mind.  If you think it....you've done it so save your cab fare!"  And he wasn't kidding.

Sun Tzu, considered the father of modern warfare, said: "Convince the enemy you are stronger then he and you have already won the battle."  Isn't that what our enemy does to us?  Doesn't he convince us that "it's just a thought, no harm, no foul"?  Yet consider this, Thought precedes action!  

In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul reminds us where to focus our thoughts:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is TRUE, whatever is WORTHY OF RESPECT, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if something is EXCELLENT or PRAISEWORTHY, think about these things.

Be careful what you let into your mind.  That which controls your mind IS your god!

En Garde!

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

 

Ever wonder why Jesus said, "You have heard it said 'Don't <insert sin here> but I say to you if you think about it, you have done it"?  Why would Jesus want us to guard our minds?  What's the big deal if I'm so angry that I wish someone was dead, as long as I don't actually kill them?  What's wrong with looking at that bikini babe as long as I don't DO anything?  What's Jesus' problem with my thinking?

 

Consider this fact, every single action we physically do begins with a thought.  AND consider this, many of us will give voice to our thoughts which then spreads our thoughts to others.

 

Be very careful what goes into your mind, because at some point it WILL come out (and usually when you really don't want it to). 

HUH?

Do not let anyone fool you by telling you things that are not true, because these things will bring God’s anger on those who do not obey him. 

Ephesians 5:6

Empty words are known my another name...LIES!  Ever had someone tell you something, you believed them, and then it turned out to be a lie?  Have you ever been the one telling the lie?  You see, we really WANT to believe what someone tells us.  

When I was in school, we would have these little gems called "pop quiz" to see if we had learned anything.  I've already admitted that I was not the best student by any stretch of the imagination.   And these little gifts always made me feel like an idiot.

But I learned a secret...if I STUDIED my lessons to learn, instead of just skimming through it just so I could say I read the assignment, then my pop quiz grades improved.  Now, think about this, if we use our mind, we will begin to see that we are more prepared when life's pop quizzes arise. 

  

Today's devotional is short for a reason.  The message is simple: Don't be caught off guard...THINK!!! 

Think? Why?

Guard your mind above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

I know you've heard them and seen them, those obnoxious and LOUD commercials demanding that you call RIGHT NOW!  Don't wait! Operators are standing by!

 

These commercials are geared to get you to act without thinking.  And sadly, we fall for this tactic more times than we would like to admit.  Why?  Because if we truly stop and consider and ponder and discern if we truly NEED the product or service, chances are we would find that we don't REALLY need it.  But we would rather just shift our brains into neutral because thinking takes effort.

 

Let me ask you something, if God had not intended for us to think and learn, why did He bother to give us a mind capable of thinking and learning?  Yes, it's EASIER to just DO without thinking (watch the traffic on any given work day and you'll see this is true).

 

THINK!  Ponder! Meditate! Contemplate! Be aware of what the Scriptures say!

 

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant." - Galatians 6:7.  If you sow ignorance, guess what you'll reap?  If you sow intelligence, guess what you'll reap?

Oh I Would NEVER Do That!

So be careful. If you are thinking, 

“Oh, I would never behave like that”

—let this be a warning to you. 

For you too may fall into sin. 

1 Corinthians 10:12 

 

 Think back on your life for a moment.  How many times have you ever said "Oh, I would never do that"?  How many times have you ending up doing exactly what we said we wouldn't?

 

We all have this image of ourselves and our future.  We all have made plans for our lives.  How many have thought, "I'll finish school, get a good paying job, get married, have a couple of kids, take vacations, and when I retire it will be someplace awesome!"  I was one of those people.  When reality gave me the worst thrashing I'd ever had, plans change, and goals are altered or even eliminated.

 

But here's the point I want you to focus your thoughts on: The example you set is not so much what you do, as much as it is what you do with what happens next.  We set an example for others every moment of every day.  For example, let's say I had a late night at work and was tired when my alarm went off the next morning, but I decide I need to come into work anyway.  When I arrive, I can barely keep my eyes open, so instead of asking if I can take some leave time to get some rest, I decided to take a little snooze at my desk (the snoring and drool on my desk would be a true giveaway).  What kind of example am I setting for those who see me?  "Well, if HE can sleep at his desk, then it MUST be okay."

 

We are reminded over and over in Scripture to THINK!  This includes making good decisions, because there is ALWAYS someone watching our example.  

 

There is an old adage that says: "Never say 'never' or you will ever do your 'never' forever."

 

Put Your Mind To It!

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is worthy of respect, 

whatever is just, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is commendable, 

if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. 

Philippians 4:8

Ever been surprised (shocked, dismay, embarrassed) when your child suddenly blurts out something you didn't think they heard (or understood)?  

 

Ever wonder why we have such a hard time finding the truth within all the "half-truths" (if it's only half true, it's a complete lie)?  

 

What do we put into our minds?  What are our minds addicted to?  What kind of thoughts grab your mind and focus?

 

Our minds can only work with the information that it has been given.  If you want a mind that is sharp and discerning, fill your mind with things that will sharpen it.  If you want the "Animal House" mentality where nothing matters and it's always someone else's fault, fill your mind with garbage.

 

We are bombarded with all sorts of things that are aimed at attracting our attention and grabbing our minds (having that perfect body, having that sportscar, taking that dream vacation, having that perfect job) and it is OUR responsibility to filter through all that information.  The Apostle Paul gives us the filter settings, we only need to apply them stringently!

 

"But that takes SO MUCH work!"  Yeah, I say that too.  And I remembered (most of the time) that if sin wasn't fun and easy, we wouldn't bother with it.  Guarding the mind is tough!  Guarding our mind, is challenging!  But look at it this way, it's the ONLY mind you get. Renew your mind in Christ and focus on Him!  

 

Let's face it, we think about what interests us.  What interests you?

Is Your House In Order?

Be careful what you think,
    because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23 

I discovered a new television show that I enjoy watching, because it causes me to think and evaluate. The show is called "House" and Hugh Laurie is a fantastic actor.  The character he portrays, Dr. Gregory House, has, through the course of his life experiences, become very jaded, cynical, and callous.  This tends to push people away, keep them at arm's distance, and leaves him with very few people who he will actually be open with.

The more I thought about this character description, the more I began to evaluate my own life.  When I was younger (and had hair), life fascinated me and I embraced each day with enthusiasm.  I loved getting out with my friends and enjoyed spending time together.  And then "life" happened.  I honestly cannot put my finger on exactly when I began to become jaded.  I cannot tell you when I began pushing people away.  I cannot tell you when I began to feel apathetic toward others.  But it happened!  Not all at once, but slowly over time.

When you face the worst in people every day, and try to make sense of it in your own mind, the layers of cynicism will encase your heart and mind.  We think it is to protect ourselves from "them."  In reality, we let it happen so we don't have to care or show concern or feel.

God has a way of peeling back the layers of our steel wrapped hearts.  When He does, we feel things we have not felt (or wanted to feel) in a long LONG time and that is not a comfortable feeling.  But God does that for a reason, even though His timing may not be convenient for us, so we will remember we are still human with needs, wants, and feelings.

We must pay attention to what we are thinking because what we think will direct our actions, attitudes, and our perspective.  If we become so cynical that everything becomes just another irritation, it's past time to re-evaluate our thoughts.  Here's the point: When we focus on God and remember that we are His child, just like everyone else we meet, we will begin to see the layers of cynicism strip away.

We must get OUR house in order (our thoughts, our perceptions, our actions) before we become jaded and cynical. 

Creation's Song

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
    and awesome above all who are around him?
O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?

~Psalm 89:5-8

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who do a LOT of wondering.  I wonder about things like: 

• "Why did God create salt water AND fresh water instead of just making all aquatic critters use the same water?"
• "Why did God make lobsters so ugly but taste so good?"
• "Why are dogs usually affectionate, while usually aloof?"
• "Why don't cows have thumbs?"

Over the last few days, I have done a lot of wondering.  Remember when God told Job to put on his big boy britches because God had some questions for him and he WOULD answer them?  You can find the discussion in Job 38.  But God asked Job, "WHO told the sea 'You can come this far and no farther?' Who put the leviathan in its cage? Who put the stars in the sky? Who told the mountains how high to climb?"  You see, God was reminding Job (and us) that all of creation is God's handiwork.  We can believe that WE are the ones in control of God's creation and God will show us who really is God.

Most mornings, I have a cup of coffee (or more....stop laughing) and watch the sunlight come through the trees, listen to the birds start their songs, watch Abby (our greyhound) stand on our deck and survey her kingdom, and know that all of creation is celebrating God, and so should I.

From time before time until the end of all time, let us praise God for His blessings, gifts, and LOVE for us.  It makes the day a LOT better!

Protect Your Mind!

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 

~Romans 16:17-18

Did you know that there are people who are divisive?  We see it every single day.  The divisive people are usually those who are too cowardly to step into the light of view and debate.  They choose to cast stones from the shadows without regard to who will be hurt by their words. Divisive people stir up trouble and seem to enjoy the chaos, again because they do so from the shadows.  

The Apostle Paul reminds us to be wary of those who seek to be divisive!  Yet over and over we see such people who will mindlessly follow simply because the rhetoric is the latest popular thing, or because they just want to be "part of change," or some other excuse that deflects the responsibility to THINK away from themselves.  Remember the excuse: "Well, every one else is doing it!"  Does that make it right. 

Jesus reminds us "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak" (Matthew 12:36). Therefore, we must be careful what we say and what we think.  Because for most of us, what's in our mind is going to come out of our mouth (and God WILL hold us accountable).

Solomon wrote in his Proverbs: "Guard your heart [and mind] above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (Proverbs 4:23).  So how do we put a guard on our hearts and minds?  How do we keep from becoming a casualty of the divisive person's bombs?  Allow me to give you some very practical counsel:

     *  If a statement is 99.99999% true and 0.00001% false, it is a LIE!  Don't let the lies into your mind!  If that means you have to stop reading their words or stop listening their words or even remove yourself from them, DO IT!  Better to walk away than become a casualty!

     *  Remember that YOU control what you let into your heart and mind! Be selective!  Be careful!

     *  People will say whatever they want about you for whatever reason they want and there's little you can do to stop them.  BUT....YOU control how you choose to react to them.

  

Perhaps the best counsel I have found comes from Paul's letter to the Philippian church (Chapter 4 Verse 8):

 Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is worthy of respect, 

whatever is just, 

whatever is pure,

 whatever is lovely, 

whatever is commendable, 

if something is excellent or praiseworthy, 

THINK ON THESE THINGS.

We are bombarded with lots of garbage every day, but WE get to decide what we let into our minds.  If it's not building you up and making you better, then it's not worth your time to think about!

Humble? Me? That Doesn't Sound Very Fun!

 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
~Philippians 2:3-5 

"BE LOUD, BE PROUD, AND BE LOUD SOME MORE!"  We have this idea blasted at us constantly.  We hear things like "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" which tells us that if we are annoying enough for the "right" reasons we get what we want.  I have heard children work this on their parents with the barrage of: "Mom.......Mom.......Mom........Mom........Mom.......Mom.......MOM......MOM.......Mom........MOM" and on and on until Mom has had enough and snaps back with "WHAT?"  

But look at what today's verses are telling us.  Did you see it?  Here it is in a nutshell: "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!"   I can hear the shocked intake of breath you just had.  I had the same reaction when this became very clear to me.  Believe it or not, my presence on this earth is NOT about me!  It's about helping others.  Granted, some don't want to be helped so they can get their own life moving, some want to be "helped" by someone else providing for them, and that is just plain wrong!

We are here to look out for each other.  Imagine if we actually followed the example of Christ and put others first!  That means you are more important to me that I am to me.  Likewise, I am more important to you than you are important to you.  We'd have a LOT fewer disagreements and a lot more understanding of each other.

Thomas of Assisi is credited with saying, "PREACH the Gospel!  And it you must...use words."  Meaning we are to live in such a way that the Gospel is so apparent in how we deal with others that no one needs to wonder if we are followers of Christ.  Jesus was humble enough to do the one task at the Last Supper that not one of His Disciples would do.  Jesus took on the role of a servant and washed every one of their nasty feet.

Are we too proud?  Believe it or not, there are those who are VERY proud to be "humble."  The picture of some of our politicians seeking public acclaim by washing the feet of someone.  This is contrived and is false humility!  The truly humble need not draw attention to themselves or their humble actions.  Their actions should speak for them.   

Focused Thinking Reveals Much

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is worthy of respect, 

whatever is just, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is commendable, 

if something is excellent or praiseworthy, 

think about these things.

~Philippians 4:8

 

Ever lost your train of thought?  Ever been so distracted that you forgot something important?  Ever tried to concentrate but found your mind wandering toward everything BUT what you needed to concentrate on? I have and still do.  Thinking is not as easy as it sounds.

 

Believe it or not, many people choose not to think!  They merely flow through their day following a stream of consciousness that is filled with rocks, rapids, clogs of stuff, and never seeming to stay on a thought for long.  Why is that?  Our society is one of speed and movement.  It is a visual society.  We no longer have time to read anything completely, much less study it, because we might miss the next fad or trend.  And as a result, we are quickly losing the ability to focus our thoughts and we are left to wonder why we are so stressed and exhausted.  

 

I consider myself to be a contemplative because I like to think!  I like to take time to think things through and try to perceive as many sides of a thought as possible.  I may have large ears but I am not Yoda, I'm just someone who likes to think.  I can sit and think for hours on end.  

 

Want to know why you are stressed and anxious? Take a look at what you allow into your mind. 

 

Want to know why you have trouble with relationships? What do you fill your mind with?

 

Want to know why you didn't get the promotion you wanted or thought you deserved?  Think it through and see if, perhaps, your skills are needed where you are.

 

You see, that with which we choose to fill our minds will impact every single aspect of our lives.  People who are hateful think hateful thoughts and allow others to fill their minds with hateful things.  Those who are cheerful fill their minds with positive thoughts and only allow positive thoughts into their minds (and have learned to look at what could be a negative situation and choose to look at it in a positive way).  

 

The philosopher, Rene Descartes, is credited with saying: "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). We tend to become what we choose to fill our minds with.  By changing the way we think, we change the way we view the world around us.  And perceptions are very contagious, so make sure yours it one worth catching!