There will be times in your life and in mine when a nightmare comes to life. When no amount of prayer or preparation can keep a devastating event from rocking the foundations of your world.
Millions of people right now are going through nightmare scenarios. They are fighting for their lives or mourning loved ones who lost their fight. Some were swimming along in a thriving economy but now are sinking into financial ruin. Everyone everywhere is dealing with loss at some level or another.
A lot of people will ask why a loving God would allow such a thing. And the only answer I have at the moment is that we live in a broken world. But, as a follower of Christ, I can’t imagine how I would cope if I didn’t believe that He is with me in the middle of this crisis.
You see, this isn’t my first crisis. And it won’t be my last. As long as I draw breath, I’m going to encounter astonishingly hard trials.
That’s why renewing my mind is so important. Because my mindset will determine my future. Will I emerge from this season of suffering disillusioned and more fragile or encouraged and more resilient?
I want to be more than hopeful. I want to be hope giving.
That’s why I continue to work on my thoughts. Emotions come and go. It’s where they lead that will determine our future.
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The one thought that changes everything
I just finished “Get Out of Your Head” by Jennie Allen, an excellent book on how to train your brain to think life-giving thoughts when negative emotions threaten to carry you away on a tsunami of fear, cynicism, self-indulgence or despair.
She writes that emotions lead to thoughts, thoughts lead to decisions, decisions determine behaviors, behaviors shape relationships, all of which lead us back to emotions and thoughts. Instead of spiraling down into dark places, we can create upward spirals that amplify light.
Rom. 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Allen challenges us to take hold of one central thought that can influence every other thought. The thought is, “I have a choice.” I choose what direction my thoughts take.
We’re all going to experience negative events and emotions. What we do next is the key.
How do we retrain our brains? By seeking God’s help and wisdom to choose life-giving thoughts.
Allen talks about how she spent 18 long months wrestling with thoughts of despair, inadequacy, cynicism and self-indulgence. She felt stuck in the muck of her mind until a friend told her, “None of this is from God. This awfulness you’ve been experiencing… this isn’t who you are.”
How we think determines how we live. We can choose to focus on the darkness around us or seek out the light and reflect it to others.
She outlines several battle lines within our minds where the way of the world and our own sin nature conflicts with God’s plans for His people. They include anxiety vs. trusting God, cynicism vs. delight, self-promotion vs humility, victimhood vs. gratitude and complacency vs. helping others.
As I write this, we are on week five (or maybe six?) of quarantine with the coronavirus pandemic circling the globe. If ever there was a recipe to battle with your thought life, stuck at home with limited outside distractions and a very real threat in the world, this is a doozy.
I find myself wrestling with anxiety, cynicism, victimhood and self-indulgence. What do I do with those thoughts? I replace them with the thoughts (and practices) God prescribes.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
When I feel anxious, I’m training myself to pray and give thanks.
What Allen said about cynicism really knocked me up side the head.
She writes, “Cynicism is always driven by the fear of the future or by anger regarding the past.”
In our time, we celebrate cynicism, but we shouldn’t be rewarding it. It takes a disappointing picture and makes it darker and uglier. If instead, we seek to delight in God’s beauty around us despite the imperfections, the colors of our world become more vibrant and lovely.
This is why stories of goodness in dark times are all the more beautiful. And we see them all around us, if we look for them. And, even more important, we can bring beauty by sharing both hope and resources with others.
Freedom in quarantine (and everywhere else)
Allen also takes to task our focus on self-esteem: “Self-importance always self-implodes.”
Instead, we should focus more on God and others. When we care less about what others think (or even what we think of ourselves) we experience more freedom, Allen writes.
Freedom in Christ. There it is.
I’m reminded of the joy I felt when I became a Christian at age 15. I experienced this thrill of freedom where it didn’t matter nearly as much what my peers thought of me. I had a small nucleus of Christian friends (my ride or die buddies). And even more important, I knew that Jesus loved me and promised to be with me and help me every step of the way.
That revelation transformed my life. And this transformation is not a one-time event, it’s a life-long process. As I continue to recall God’s love and choose to follow Jesus, I’m renewing my mind over and over again as I encounter the shattered pieces of a broken world.
Allen also calls us to follow Hebrews 12 and throw off whatever slows us down and to run with endurance the race Jesus marked out for us.
Most of us are stuck at home or venturing out for essential work, and our outward freedom is limited. But our inward freedom in Christ is guaranteed. Want an example? Look at Paul in prison and how he continued to preach and teach with joy.
Here’s a not-so-secret prescription for joy: the more you share it, the more you experience it.
As Christians, we are called to bring help and hope even when we are sheltering in place. How can we do that? We love the people under our roof and reach out to others with calls, virtual meetings, notes, giving of our time and resources where they will do some good.
Have you ever gone through a terrible experience, and — with prayer and focused attention on God — felt a peace you never imagined? That’s what God wants for us in this and every other crisis.
While we don’t have freedom to come and go anywhere we want in quarantine, we have inner freedom from destructive thought patterns. And we have the assurance that God is with us. That freedom and experiencing His presence comes with training and practice and the help of the Holy Spirit.
How can you take hold of freedom in Christ and share the joy of Emmanuel, God with us, today?
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In these uncertain times, lock in with love