You Are What You Think

Think on these things. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. He who keeps his mind stayed on thee shall have perfect peace.

I’ve developed this habit that I now love, which is voice memos for myself. Instead of jotting down a note to self on a piece of paper, I do a quick voice memo. I love it because if I need to go back and revisit something, it’s in my voice. Listening to my own voice, I can almost picture the exact moment I said it and what I was feeling. Then it will sometimes remind me why I said what I said. That doesn’t always translate with my written words, which, when written hurriedly, can sometimes be difficult to decipher. I also do this sometimes with my prayers when I just need to talk it out. But it took me some time to get there.

I used to have a bit of a commute to work. Traveling up the highway and through the tunnel on a daily basis was something you just got used to. You could ride along to some tunes, radio morning show banter, or perhaps an audiobook. I tried all of those things over the years. One day, I was troubled about a situation that was happening at work. Like I said earlier, I just had to get the words out. So, I geared up one of my audio recordings and just poured out all of my innermost thoughts. It actually worked, to a degree. I felt like I’d unloaded in the least harmless way, since no one else was aware of my thoughts or feelings. Those vented frustrations could only harm my own ears if I chose to listen to the recording. It would go on like this for quite some time. I grew used to popping open my app and rambling away.

One day, I was troubled by a decision my boss made. I’m sure many people have faced the “disagreement with management” moment in our professional lives. I keyed up my audio recording for my morning commute as usual and released my upset and frustration along my drive. I had even made the decision that I was going to have a one on one chat with my boss because I was so upset by how he handled this situation and the decision he mandated. It was a particularly easy commute day, so I arrived a little earlier than usual. Rather than head straight to my work location, I detoured to my favorite local bakery for some coffee and a donut. Little did I know that detour would change how I spent my morning commutes going forward. 

... I saw this stunningly beautiful view of the sun breaking through the clouds...

I was resolved and my decision was made. But as I headed to my bakery, I saw this stunningly beautiful view of the sun breaking through the clouds. I would have taken a photo if I wasn’t driving. I was so captivated by the image before me, that my vents about my boss’s management style vanished from my thoughts. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned many times in previous posts, I’m a scenic nature loving girl. For me, when it comes to beauty, nothing can beat God’s creation. This was a day that would have sealed it for me, if I didn’t already know that. Staring at the imagery drastically calmed the frustrated and confrontational spirit I was wrestling with. Instead of planning how I was going to show my boss why his thinking was completely flawed and plain wrong, a shift in my thinking changed the entire atmosphere in my car. Albeit, without any efforts from me. Yet, it’s a moment that I often recall when I’m meditating on the power of our thoughts.

If you haven’t noticed, there are a great number of scriptures that illustrate how much weight our thinking has on our character, on our ability to live peaceably, and even just to stay positive. Think on these things. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. He who keeps his mind stayed on thee shall have perfect peace. My thoughts and how I use them has a huge impact on my character. If I’m riling myself up with angry thoughts, then I’m going to be angry. If I allow my thoughts to dwell on the negative, then that’s what I’m going to seek.

When I got to work that morning, the situation had been resolved. Again, without any effort from me. My boss realized the approach he took in resolving the matter wasn’t the best. He apologized and went back to the drawing board. I often think how that story may have had a different ending if I had went straight to work and, in all my upset, confronted my boss. I poured so much “thinking” into fighting a battle that God already won for me. That’s what we end up doing to ourselves on countless occasions.

 ...Take your hands off the wheel. Take your foot off the accelerator...

I recently went to a car wash and they have a sign posted that tells drivers: Put your car in neutral. Take your hands off the wheel. Take your foot off the accelerator. Sit back and relax. As often as I’ve gone through that car wash, when my car began to move on the track recently, I instinctively grabbed the wheel for a second. Honestly, that’s what we do when it comes to lifes battles. We don’t need to be reminded that we asked God to handle it for us. We know! But just for one split second, we can suddenly see and feel this thing feeling like it’s slipping out of control so we reinvolve ourselves. So instead of focusing on a situation that appears to be careening out of control, remind yourself that you asked God to take care of it. That means, we can’t dictate how He does it.

Instead of allowing negativity to consume all of our thoughts and shift our mood, make an exchange. If every day you find that you are worried about an issue or a problem, think back to something good that God has already done for you. I was talking with a friend recently about this mentality. What I shared with her is very true for my mental state. By taking a moment in  my here and now to look back and the many trials God has brought me through, I’m encouraged about where he is takiing me. I may not see a clear cut direct path or being able to identify the shape of it all and how it fits together, but my past is the encouragement I need that the victory is coming.

That requires a shift in thinking. Instead of spending my days wondering why it seems like a long ago prayer hasn’t been answered yet, or crying because the weight of a present issue seems like it’s getting increasingly difficult, I’m going to remind my mind, that God is great. He heard my prayers and I have to trust that he is going to come through. So as I think on those positives and those certainties, my stride becomes a little more confident than it was the day before. That’s the power of my thoughts and why it’s so important that I keep them positive. 

Stay Sunny!

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