One gift, from the storehouse of 10,000 gifts that God has given us, is the gift of choice. That’s a pretty significant gift. The ability to choose. Have you ever thought about choice as a gift? One of the most important things we get to choose is what we think about – yep — we get to pick what we think about. I know, I know. I have those thoughts too that just can’t possibly be from me. Maybe not all of them are, but I get to pick whether or not I’m going to allow those thoughts to roost in my mind. To dictate how I feel (or fear), to rule my day – it’s a choice.
So what do you think about? I’ve heard it said that if we look at our checkbooks we will see what we worship. Can that be said of our thoughts as well? Whatever we think about most is what we are worshipping. If that’s the case, I need to be more thoughtful to think about what I’m thinking.
When our minds are racing because our lives are racing – when thoughts fly through our minds like a rolling neon message board – when thoughts flash constantly like a strobe light and we cannot even fully grasp the full thought, let alone put it into context, we still get to pick what we think about.
When thoughts pop into our minds and we terror at the thought of them – they send fear rippling through us – how could we think something like that –adrenaline pumping, horror causing kinds of thoughts, we still get to pick what we think. We get to pick whether or not those thoughts get to linger, get to come into complete thought formation – whether or not those thoughts are put into action. When it comes to our thoughts, we are a most undisciplined people. Oh, don’t act indignant, if we’re honest, it’s true.
I read a quote the other day by Dr. Caroline Leaf, from her book Switch on Your Brain:
As we think, we change the physical nature of our brain.
As we consciously direct our thinking, we can wire out toxic patterns of thinking and replace them with healthy thoughts.
Now I don’t know about the science of it all, but the statement intrigued me. If this is true, I want me some of that! Who wants a toxic brain? None of us do, but here comes the ouch — are our thoughts doing just that? Again, if I’m honest and I look at the ruminations that I allow to roost, I’d have to say, yeah, I’ve got some toxicity going on in there. Check this out…
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9
Truth. Honorable. Right. Pure. Lovely. Admirable. Excellent. Worthy of Praise. Paul says think on these things. We are to choose to think on those things. What happens when we entertain these thoughts? The God of peace will be with us! Who doesn’t want that?
I’m thinking about my poor brain and the thoughts I have that cause deep toxic ruts on the roadways of my brain because of what I’ve chosen to dwell on, to think on. You’ve heard it said that what we take in is what we put out. Junk in, junk out. Poison in, poison out. So, what are we allowing –if you allow, you have chosen to allow – if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice – what kinds of thoughts are building the highways in our mind? Are those thought highways leading to life or death?
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20
We have a choice! Will we think about life — peace, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, amazing love, God the Father, eternity, or will we think about a life of death – hurt, anger, drudgery, fear, worry, struggle, pain, grudgery, hate, temporal life. Now or then? Eternal or temporal? Blessings or curses? Life or death? We have a choice!
We are human, we will have thoughts that are downright un-Godly – not all fairy dust and unicorns. But, the awesome thing about the thoughts we have is that we get to pick and choose what thoughts will flash on the jumbotron of our minds.
Choosing to control our thoughts is no easy task but if we are purposeful about what we allow to hang out in our thoughts and if we are purposeful about what we feed our thoughts, the Word of God is a good thought food, we will be given the strength to fix our minds on the lovely things.