“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3
There’s nothing worse than knowingly walking into a hostile environment. Where you know your coworkers speak slanderous words behind your back, but deceptively smile in your presence as they ploy to oust you from your position. Where you come home from said job and know that you and your spouse are on the cusp of falling apart, but neither of you wants to say it out loud. Where you’re in a constant state of depression because of your challenges, but can’t tell anyone; and if you do, you’ll be met with glances of condescending remorse or chaffing ridicule.
You’re locked into a melodramatic labyrinth with no acknowledged exit. In English, you’re lost. As you maneuver through this wave that you didn’t want and have no skill to surf, you’re naturally going to search for answers. Maybe your favorite social media lifestyle guru can provide a few morsels of circumspection to ameliorate your situation as you scroll down. Maybe who seems to visibly have their life together can remind you of how great you are and support your ongoing notion that yes, it is everyone else that’s a lunatic and it’s unfortunate that they can’t recognize your awesomeness. Maybe you’ve gotten so desperate that you’ve decided to visit that palm reader’s shop that you always pass by, only to be told something that was sort of close to your situation, but left you with more questions when the session was done. Who knows? Maybe you’ve become so distraught that the idea of hurting yourself has navigated through your mind, even though you’re too prideful to admit it even to yourself.
At 21, we not only reach the age of being legal for everything, but many of us replace youthful idealism for sobering reality. We realize life is rough, downright hard even. The majority of us will act accordingly to fit in as we anxiously wait for some gust of wind to miraculously change our situation. Yet, we don’t realize that God doesn’t want this for us (John 10:10). God desires that we live prosperous lives, and strength comes from keeping our minds on.
So how does keeping our minds on an entity that we cannot perceive with any of our senses bring us the peace we all yearn for? Well, let’s interject some biology into the discussion. Everything in nature has a source. Some of the adult creatures in nature (specifically turtles and salmon) make a pilgrimage back to that source/birthplace to give birth or reproduce- a process called natal homing. It’s difficult to get into the thought process of an animal; we usually just break it down to them having instinct. Maybe so, but if instinct is a biological response for the animal to protect itself, then instinctually the animal feels that the birthplace/source is a safe place. If we as humans are the most evolved species on the planet, why is it that we’re not able to back to God for “new life”? Why is it that when our desire is to produce blessings in our life, we’re unable to find our way back to the Creator?
Some may break it down to something as basic (but detrimental) as pride, but for many Christians today it can possibly be a matter of distraction. More than ever we’re bombarded with several pieces of information and messages that come from sources all over the globe. Whether we look through our phones, scan the internet at work, watch television or overhear conversations of the street, we’re continuously being fed a diet of popular propaganda. However, when you examine the fountainhead of much of this “intelligence,” much of it doesn’t come
No matter how many times God has proven that he can come through for his people in the clutch, too many of us underrate His abilities. As a result, we end up saved and confused; a people having knowledge of God, but no true faithfulness (James 1:22-25) So what happens is we commit the acts and deeds of a Christian amongst other Christians, speak the lingo, then count on everything but God for guidance. However, we need to remember two things before we travel down the same mental trail: God is still sovereign and God is still wise.
You’ve more than likely figured this out, but God is everywhere. Not only is he always on the scene but he is in every plot line (Psalm 103:19). Thus, everything is in his control in our lives (especially if we follow Him) even if we can’t fathom it in the moment. Nobody on earth can state with a straight face that they possess that kind of grip on a circumstance, and nobody in half of their right mind ever would. God is not only a knowledgeable God, but also, a wise God; meaning that based on the circumstances, he is aware of the best move to create the best outcome (Romans 11:33-36) With the exception of kids under eight years of age, everyone has an agenda. What they do, if not grounded in the Word of God, is based upon their experiences and their value system; what they wish to see the world as. God’s agenda is to see you live righteously and with the right set up that can bring Him glory through you. That’s the epitome of someone who loves you.
Our thoughts are a potent fuel that can mobilize our lives and take us towards a better, more scenic course. No one can or does promise a smooth ride. Keeping our minds on God, however, will equip us for the journey; uninterrupted by what happens on the road.
