Think About These Things
My brain is a wild place. It can have an idea, and before I know it, it is racing away, thinking about the worst-case scenario or how to solve a problem that doesn’t even exist. It can be a bit of a minefield at times.
For instance, a few weeks ago, I was dealing with some pain in my mouth. I thought it was a toothache, maybe brought on by the change in air pressure. A day passed, and my jaw started hurting. I thought it would be a great idea to do a quick Google search to determine what might be wrong.
Google let me know I probably had a rare condition and should get immediate medical attention.
Since that seemed alarming, I texted my husband and told him about my dire circumstances. Sometimes, just saying the thing out loud brings it into reality so that it can be properly assessed.
Are you laughing? It’s ok. Me too.
What pops into our mind is pretty much out of our control, but what we can control is how we notice what is floating around in our head and how we continue to make room for it or change it.
Philippians 4 gives us a helpful start.
Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 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.
We might read these verses and think, well, that sounds great, but it’s not that easy to shift what I’m thinking about. When we are worried, saying don’t worry might not feel that helpful. It’s true that it takes effort to change the conversation happening internally. At times, it can feel downright impossible.
These verses aren’t saying to pretend that everything is fine, be happy all the time, and never be discouraged or downcast. They are actually more hopeful than that because they remind us that despite our circumstances, despite what is happening in our minds, we are never alone. Rather than spinning out wondering what if or why, we can engage in an ongoing dialogue with the creator of the universe who cares deeply about us and is with us always.
We can trust God with whatever is on our minds. Whether we are worried about a pain in our jaw that turns out to be nothing or we are heartbroken and experiencing deep grief, God cares. God genuinely cares about how we feel, what we think, and how we process all of it. Not only is God with us, but the peace of God surrounds us and helps to hold us up day in and day out.
Notice that Paul doesn’t just say to pray about it; he also invites us to take some action steps by intentionally thinking about what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
When we begin to fill our minds with these things, transformation happens. God literally designed our brains so that gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin. Gratitude helps our brain regulate emotions and calm our anxiety. Gratitude is what happens when we focus on this list Paul gave us.
Gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring what is hard but rather looking for beauty in unexpected places. May your week be full of unexpected beauty!
~ Melissa
*If you’ve been around here for a while or know me well, you know that I am an advocate for therapy. As you practice gratitude, you may discover that you need additional support. If that is true for you, I encourage you to find a trustworthy counselor to accompany you on your journey. If you’re unsure where to find a counselor, ask a friend you trust if they have any recommendations. Sometimes, we need the Holy Spirit AND a trained therapist to help us move toward wholeness. Cheering you on!