think happy thoughts.

Several months ago I started memorizing scripture. I, of course, used the Navigators topical memory system. And being the high-achieving first-born that I am… I memorized them as fast as I could! I got up to about twenty and was feeling pretty good. But, like most things with God, in my hurry I missed something.

We got a new puppy last week. Don’t ask me why at a time when we have an 8-month old, and a two-year old, we felt compelled to buy a puppy! And a lab at that! (Yes, the breed from the movie Marley and Me) Now eventually we’ll be at that dogs funeral reminiscing over all of our good times with her, but now we are at the comical, insane part of the movie that leaves Blakey and I exhausted. Up in the middle of the night with dog and baby and chasing a two-year old boy around! Needless to say I was loosing it last night. I kept dwelling on how tired I was and loosing more and more patience!

Once we laid the kids down, Blake read a devotional to me that contained one of my aforementioned memory verses..

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. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me–everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. —Philippians 4:6-9—

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life — and I’m running out of time to figure it out. What if I never find it? Will I always be unhappy and unfulfilled? Will I never achieve my purpose? What will God do about that – will He call me a bad servant? But I can’t help it. Why doesn’t He answer my prayers for direction?  Maybe I’m just too sinful or something. I know I should read the Bible more. Is this limbo I’m in some kind of punishment for that? Am I really so much worse than everybody else? Maybe I just don’t have any special gifts or talents. Or they just never got developed. Maybe that’s it, and maybe now it’s too late. So what do I do now? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do …”

I dwell on the bad things in my life as if I will suddenly have a strike of inspiration and “figure it out.” But this study and the verse in Philippians reminded me to think good thoughts. Not just positive, not sucking down my doubts and fears, but consciously thinking about things that are truly good! In times of worry or anxiety we need to: pray about “everything”, thank God for what He has done, and fill our minds with good thoughts about God and His many blessings. “Then the God of peace will be with you.” Today I will stop thinking about all the problems in life and focus on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable, and worthy of praise. And then I’ll start all over tomorrow…

Advertisement