Thinking About Thinking

I’m thinking about thinking today.  What are we thinking?  What can we do about the thoughts that fill our minds?  God’s word instructs us about how we are to think:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

Philippians 4:8

Our world is full of upsetting things.  Just watch the news today or scroll through some news feed on you phone or tablet.  I don’t know what the percentage of bad news to good news reported is but I would be surprised if it’s not 80-90% on the bad news and just a bit of good stuff thrown in – usually about animals, isn’t it?  That’s how it is locally here.

God’s good plan to lift us up and help us see what is important is for us to filter our thoughts and make choices about what we will let take up residence in our minds.  We can make choices, that’s the first bit of good news.  We can prepare ourselves to have choices “at the ready” so we can replace negative thoughts. 

For years I’ve practiced making gratitude lists.  Sometimes I’ll just have to pause and look around.  At other times I use categories to help me become conscious of all I have that I’ve been missing seeing because of negative stuff crowding my thoughts.  God’s Word tells us:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isaiah 55:8-9

Heavenly Father, we’re so grateful that life events or the news don’t determine who we are. Thoughts and emotions and reactions to what we hear or see don’t control us either.  Thank You that You are with us as we face whatever we are facing.  You are ready, even in this moment, to fill our minds with truth so we can respond well to whatever we are facing.

We thank you for the presence and the guidance of your Holy Spirit who is more than willing to show us how to walk one step at a time through our day so we can live above the powerful waves of sadness and negativity and frustration that try to overwhelm us.    Help us Lord to allow You to comfort and heal our hearts, lift and change our thoughts, and shape our perspective with Your truth and Your power.

We commit our emotions, our words, and our reactions to You Lord, and trust You to establish our thoughts in positive places.   Amen.

What will we think on today?  The quality of our day will be shaped by it.