I opened my mind and allowed anything in without any filters. Sadly, I would ruminate on something until it was created into something else. The sad thing was I never thought there was a benefit to putting a lock on the gate of my mind. Have you lost the lock to your mind and are allowing anything in? Then perhaps this Podcast is for you.
“I’d Prefer to Read Your Message”
Years ago, when I began my healing from all my abuses, I had to “renew my mind” so that the Lord’s healing could rest fully upon me. What is renewing your mind? It’s doing a paradigm shift in what you allow to ruminate in your thinking.
I remember 30+ years ago when I was married, I was taking a shower having a good start to my day. For some reason I allowed negative thoughts to come into my mind about my husband so that if he walked in the bathroom a fight would have started. I was full of anger towards him.
Now those thoughts were true, but they were not happening at that moment of our relationship. Yet I let my thoughts wonder about like a merry-go-around picking up whatever wanted to jump on.
What should I have done?
Probably out loud said, “Nope I’m not going there” and stopped that thought pattern. Because what did it accomplish for me? Nothing. He wasn’t home and didn’t do anything wrong at that moment. So why go there? Sadly, we do have a spiritual enemy that wants to destroy our rest and peace … unfortunately that morning I let him.
God tells us that we tend to speak what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34-37). Now I did have angst in my heart towards my husband for sure and all those unresolved issues we had settled there. He was not one to ever want to resolve our problems. They just got stuffed in my heart, mind and soul. That morning, my heart probably got so full of unresolved issues that it wanted to explode so it ended up in my thoughts to ruminate throughout the day.
What is your heart full of?
Our mouth will speak what our heart is full of. The words we choose to speak will either condemn us or acquit us. We will be held accountable for the words we have spoken. God said we will on judgment day. Also, we will reap what we sow.
Why did I let those negative thoughts enter my mind that day. Unresolved issues. As I said above, we never resolved issues. For me, they just got stuffed inside. For him, he seemed to have a way of just letting them go and like a light bulb being turned he switched out of his behavior and acted like nothing was wrong. No matter how wounded I or his children were.
Now, I cannot move forward in a relationship that has unresolved issues. I don’t want to stuff it in my heart to only let it boil over down the road. That specific morning 30+ years ago, I chose to let those thoughts in and actually take over my day. It’s hard to be with someone that doesn’t want to resolve issues or takes no responsibility for their part. But instead of stuffing it, I needed to make other choices. It took years and lots of healing to choose a different path.
We will keep our minds full of the pain that someone caused us in our life unless we renew our minds. The first thing to do is forgive them. I know that’s hard for some people to hear, and you are probably saying, “but you don’t know what they did to me.” No, I don’t know what they did to you, but with all the abuse I’ve gone through, I had to choose to forgive.
Forgiving is not what you think!
Forgiving them does not mean you continue a relationship necessarily. If they hurt you, abused you or mistreated you, then they need to apologize and ask for your forgiveness. Then a journey of trust can begin.
The forgiving you do on your own is between you and the Father. You are basically saying, “Father I choose to forgive so and so, and I release them into Your Hands. I wish them no harm and ask that You deal with them.” He will.
Secondly, when negative thoughts enter your mind STOP! Don’t receive them, repeat them or allow them to ruminate over and over in your thoughts. Replace it with something good. God says, “to think on whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” Philippians 4:8
What we choose to think on is truly our choice. I know bad things could have happened to you but holding onto that pain in your mind will not serve any purpose other than raise your cortisol levels, upset your gut, begin to dismantle your nervous system and just plain make your day lousy. Don’t put that upon yourself.
It does take some work to being this process, but it is not impossible. Believe and know that you can do this. You are not alone.
Your Spiritual Life & Health Coach … believing in you!
Please share this message with someone you know who needs to be encouraged!