And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Maybe it’s just me but my brain likes to play the same sayings, songs, etc over and over again until it drives me crazy! Sayings can be a great thing to play back if they are the right ones. It’s the negative ones that seem to haunt my mind. This is a constant reminder that we are to guard our hearts and minds.
It is just like my post about what music we listen to (>click here for that post <, it is important what we put into our hearts and minds because they will tend to replay like a CD on repeat.
One saying in particular that has prowled around in my mind for years is something Dr Phil says (yes, I love Dr Phil, I am fascinated by people’s life stories) is, “What you fear, you create”. While I get what he is saying, I find this to be a very negative thing to say to people.
Where is the hope in a quote like that? I don’t want to live in fear. In fact, we are specifically instructed not to live in fear (Isaiah 41:10).
I also do not want to create my life from my fear but from hope. Fear can be a great motivator. Is it the right motivator? I don’t believe it is. While we focus on fear and try to avoid what we fear, we have to live in a perpetual state of anxiety.
Anxiety is not good for the body or the soul. When we become anxious, we start relying on ourselves instead of the One and Only. Anxiety is like telling God, I don’t truly trust you to take care of me.
Do you trust Him? Has He always taken care of you?
When you find yourself trapped in your own mind, replaying something negative like a broken record, replace it with something that is pure. Memorize at least one scripture that you can replace negative thoughts with. Just like with a baby, you redirect them when they are getting into something they shouldn’t by distracting them with something else. Do the same thing for yourself. It works! And wouldn’t you rather focus on the hope that you know you have? I would!
Phil 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Love this!! When anxiety tries to creep in I will redirect my mind to hope!!