What are you thinking?

What is the first thought that normally pops into your head when you wake up?

Maybe it is how you wish you could sleep longer, how you need to get up, how you need to get ready for work or school, or how you are worrying about all the things you need to get done today.

While I understand all those thoughts, and have them myself often, what should we actually be thinking about? 

Most mornings I try to start my day off with a prayer right upon waking up and thanking God for another day and the breath in my lungs. As the day goes on, my thoughts get jumbled. I may be anxious, stressed, tempted, angry or feel many other emotions causing my thoughts to drift from the peace of God. 

Paul tells us,

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”-Philippians 4:8 NIV

Easier said than done, I know. “But we have the mind of Christ…” according to 1 Corinthians 2:16. Thanks to that, we can think about good things when we start to feel a certain way — things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy — and bring our mind back to Jesus. 

When you feel overwhelmed, angry, tempted, anxious, lost or scared, remember you are a child of God and have the mind of Christ. Do not let the enemy set up camp in your mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 assures us that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

God gave us a healthy, sound mind, and the Holy Spirit to guide us out of fear. 

Do not allow your mind to be hyper focused on things of the world and strategies the enemy is throwing at you.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” -Romans 12:2.

Allow God to take thoughts that are not of Him captive for you, and let Him renew your mind. 

With all the things our minds could be filled with right now, why don’t we fill it with whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Let us fill our minds with the peace of the Lord and let our worship for Him be greater than the worry, stress, temptation and fear. 

What are you thinking about? What thoughts are worth holding onto? What thoughts do you need to let go?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whitney can be described by the opening lyrics of a few Tom Petty songs. She's a good girl who grew up in a small Indiana town who loves her mama, Jesus, and America too. She practices medicine as a physician assistant at an urgent care. Whitney is a music enthusiast and leads worship at her church. She has a heart for people, and wants to help young girls and women find their worth in Christ rather than what the world says of them. Whitney loves a good dad joke, the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, Southern manners, working on her fitness, attempting Pinterest crafts, and cheering on Indiana University basketball.