Choose Your Thoughts
By Karen D’Amore
“Think about what is noble, right and
pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect.
If
anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things.”
“We’d like to offer you a job!” My husband had been working in a
miserably distressing job, making the offer a welcomed relief and long-awaited
answer to prayer. After learning the specifics of his new job, my thoughts
became fixated on one critical element: His office would be in our home! Since
this wouldn’t be the first time he’d worked from home, I was keenly aware of
how this element can impact the dynamics of a H-O-M-E!!! Though I knew both the
positive and negative features of his working from home, my thoughts selfishly
gravitated to one specific negative. Suddenly my “happy thoughts” for my
husband’s hoped-for answer to prayer dissolved under my fixation on this
negative element. After mere months of settling into his new home office, my
negatively-focused thoughts transitioned into irritations and resentment, which
created an ideal encampment for Satan.
God creatively rebuked me, and squelched Satan’s foothold, by
utilizing a scene from a Hallmark movie to realign my thoughts. The lead actor
was forced to choose between a relationship and a long-awaited, highly desired
job offer, which would require relocation away from his new romantic interest.
After creating a list and thinking about the “pros and cons,” he realized the
“pros” in choosing the relationship outweighed the “cons.”
As the movie became a reflective mirror, I recognized my
thoughts were absorbed with one “con,” without giving thought or consideration to the outweighing
“pros.” After creating a list of my own “pros,” I chose to fix my thoughts on that list, which in
turn diverted my thoughts from the one “con.” Amazingly, as my “renewed” thoughts
remained focused on the positives, my irritations subsided…my resentment
ceased…and peace prevailed!
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2a). As believers, it’s our responsibility to allow God to renew our
minds, which is accomplished by aligning the way we think with how God thinks.
One strategy for renewing our minds is accomplished by thinking in accordance
with the verse above, Philippians 4:8.
Fittingly, Philippians 4:9 follows with, “Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - - put into practice. And
the peace of God will be with you!”
While choosing to think on the “pros” didn’t change the “cons” …my renewed thoughts radically changed my heart…where
God’s peace then prevailed!
THAT is praiseworthy!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What are YOU thinking? CHOOSE wisely!
FURTHER READING:
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works
as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and as an instructor in the Cosmetology
Department at WCTC. Karen also serves on the Welcoming Team at Oakwood.
