Life is full of questions we ask from the deepest pits of confusion and pain. Why me, must be at the top of that list. The ladder isn’t tall enough to climb out of some places we fall into. But we’re almost always filled with some anger and depressive feelings that come to linger as our worst moments.
Our minds can become polluted with all sorts of thoughts at any given time, and we must pull ourselves back together or face anxiety and or depression. We’re not all A types who rush ahead unfazed.
Our minds tend to go with the flow of our lives. We’re all different and run into different situations and experiences. The differences can make most one size fits all advice useless.
Where our minds go, we tend to follow it.
The Bible makes clear that we should ‘guard our hearts because all life’s issues are in our hearts’. When we come to understand that the things we allow to crowd our minds dictates how we choose to live, we might change our information consumption. Think about the things you have heard on repeat over your life, and you may figure out why you like certain music or foods or even venues.
Our habits, our way of thinking, our reactions, our inspirations all come from songs, movies, books, and even the commercials we’re bombarded with. These tell you who to be, how to be, what to be, when to be, what your expectations should be, along with a plethora of other bees that buzz in our minds as they’re repeated over long stretches.
People who pay attention to what’s going on inside their heads get glimpses of what is happening on the inside. Some of us have to have it pointed out to the tune of thousands of dollars or ust live obliviously until it catches up. We all get smacked with information we allow into our minds at some point. Not surprisingly, we tend to gravitate to the things that occupy our thoughts. As people think in their hearts, so they become, says the proverb.
You can prove it for yourself if you pay close attention to your thoughts and the things you do and the way you react to situations.
Being among the anxious and depressed in my younger days I occupied my mind with art of all sorts, tinkerings, science and other-nerdly stuff. Life can seem deep that way for some of us. But those who know, understand the reason for the depression and anxiousness. We feed our minds all sorts of things and wait for others to fix us when we go too far to the right or left.
We do the things that occupy our minds.
We do the things we think about most. It shows in our actions and habits. The things we tend to like and, the way we interact with people. It is not always emotional trauma that causes some of our choices and dealings.
Let me show you something interesting
When I began studying the Bible and trying to understand what God was saying, I would get sidetracked by art and other bits of information. I still do sometimes. But as I stuck with the information I was getting from the Bible; I began to understand life in a different way. I began to understand the patterns I could see but not understand before.
Most importantly, my mood-swings began to change, and my habits began to change. When my mind became more fixed to the word of God, I began to gravitate toward prayer and doing different things. Habits shifted to healthier lifestyle and thoughts changed. I began to speak more to Jesus than to myself – yeah, I was that guy you’d hear asking questions with no one else around; understanding that the truth didn’t just explain itself. Jesus was answering, teaching me how to live the life I was reading about, like he does for everyone who truly turns to him.
As knowledge of God increased, I also began to heal and change from inside out. When I struggle these days, I don’t struggle hopelessly. Anxiety is no longer a momentum stopper to me. I can get stuff done correctly, where before I would only get stuff done.
The discovery of a lifetime in a book
The word of God is a powerful way of life. Knowing what God has said and what to expect has given my mind new directives. Life. Abundant life. More to discover than theories or nicknacks to tinker with. Imagine being given direct knowledge of what to do in certain situations. Each discovery gives me more inspiration to search more, to pray more, to understand more. Wisdom – I asked for wisdom and the Lord led me into wisdom, teaching me how to walk in it.
My mind is maturing into trust in the Lord. My life is filled with faith, hope, love, and a desire to walk with an upright spirit. Seeing where I am and where I’m going my mind is alive and filled with the wonders of God each day; good days and bad days. Where my mind leads me is totally different from the days before I believed in Jesus and started living this life.
The main discovery
I still tinker with some affirmations, but more about my confidence in Christ. Believing the word of God has set me free from so many things. My health has been better than it’s ever been because I don’t overthink or stress as much as I used to. But having the hope of life beyond the grave has given me profound freedom.
When our minds stay on the word of God everything changes thought by thought. As we apply what we learn to the way we live, our whole life can change. We must be willing. That anger we couldn’t control before, being anxious about life, being the silent mouse; God changes us from the inside by His word just like it is written in Philippians 1:6 & 2:13 that ‘God works in us unto good works and will do so until it is complete’.
Our minds can go many places, but we can act on the direction we go. The Love of God and the testimony of God can change everything we think we know. Get into the word and allow the word to get into you and discover how great life could truly be.
