Colossians 3:2
Are You a Tommy or David?
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack for nothing.
Jehovah-Ra-ah, thank You for being our Shepherd. In You, we lack for nothing.
Prayers of My Heart HERE.
How to Ditch the Maddening Negative Thoughts
They pop up. Into our mind. We don’t sit around and try to drum them up. What? Negative thoughts. They sprout like the uninvited weeds in my garden. Among all the beautiful lettuce, spinach, and kale, those pesky weeds poke through the rich soil. I can ignore them, which I’m prone to do. But the fact is, they don’t belong in my garden. I didn’t plant them. I don’t want them. And if I want them out, I’m going to have do something to remove them. It requires time, focus, and energy. The same is true with the negative thoughts that sprout in our minds. We can be going our merry way, rejoicing in the day God has given us, and then up sprouts a negative thought. It doesn’t matter where it came from…the devil, another person, or the deep recesses of our mind. The fact is, the negative thought is there. Whose responsibility is it to tend to the garden of our mind? Ours. God charged Adam and Eve with the instruction to “Keep the garden” He had given them. He instructs us to set our mind on the things above (Colossians 3:2) and to keep our minds on Him. (Isaiah 26:3) “Keep” means to guard and watch over. So, tip one for ditching negative thoughts is to pay attention to our thoughts. Examine them as I examine my garden. Second, when we have a negative thought, uproot it. Take it to God. Is it true? Is it an honorable thought? Is it even right or have we embellished or imagined it? Is it a pure thought? Is it a lovely thought? Is it a thought of good repute? If not, ditch it. Till thoughts that are excellent. Cultivate thoughts that are worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8) So, after examining our thoughts, ditch or dwell. Ditch the negative. They make us ugly. (“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” Proverbs 23:7) Dwell on the lovely. They make us reflective of Christ.
Lord Jesus, You are beautiful and we want to reflect Your beauty. Help us examine our thoughts and ditch the negative and dwell on the lovely.
Are You Like Tommy or David?
Jehovah-Ra-ah, we praise You, our Shepherd. In You, we lack for nothing. May we set our minds on the things above according to Your Word. Get Prayers of My Heart HERE.
Are You Like Tommy or David?
Jehovah-Ra-ah, we praise You, our Shepherd. In You we lack for nothing. May we set our minds on the things above according to Your Word. Order Prayers of My Heart HERE.
I AM HEAVENLY MINDED
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
What are you thinking? Has anyone ever asked you that? It’s a good question. Are our thoughts anxious? Are they negative? Or, are they rejoicing on the things above and God’s goodness? This is the second time in two verses that we’re directed to “things above.” Above here means “on high.” Paul explains that, since we’ve been crucified with Christ, we should continuously think on Christ and our higher calling in Him. This doesn’t mean that we ignore our earthly responsibilities. However, it does mean that we take proactive measures to think on and absorb Christ’s perspective, love, and power over earth’s values, emptiness, and weakness. How do we do this? It’s a choice. To set means “to direct one’s mind to a thing.” Every day when we wake, we set our minds on the things above by directing our thoughts to God in prayer. We set our minds on the things above by reading the Bible. We set our minds on that which is outlined in Philippians 4:8. Gravity may pull our feet to earth, but God calls us to set our minds on the things above.
Heavenly Father, help me set my mind on the things above. May I be increasingly heavenly minded rather than earthly minded.
From If God in In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case?