Fixing My Thoughts

For the most part, I don’t worry.  Maybe that’s a character flaw, but I’m a glass ½ full kind of gal.

Oh, I used to worry!  I’d lie awake all night stewing.  I’d concoct what-if scenarios and imagine the worst.  I’d play out potential reactions and solutions.  I was stressed and I was tired and everyone paid the price.  At some point (I was probably in some Bible study) I consciously decided to start trusting God – believing God was good and capable and in control. 

I decided I wouldn’t worry about anything that was out of my control - like other people’s actions.  When I lay awake with my head spinning, I prayed myself back to sleep and hoped God didn’t mind being used as a sleep aide.  When I started thinking about a problem, I determined to pray about it instead of stew.  Every time my mind wandered away from prayer, I pulled it back into conversation with God.  I fixed my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, and pure.

It worked!  I slept better, but over the long term God changed me.  I am far more relaxed about life now.  It’s not that I don’t care about things, but I trust that God has a plan and eventually works everything for good.  I try to see the silver lining.

Do you have more thoughts about what you lack than gratitude for what you have?  Are you more focused on your problems than you are on our God who is able to work all things for good?  Can you see past a person’s flaws to see the good?

Stop staring at your problems and think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise!