Last week I actually got to listen to the sermon in church, for the first time in a long long time. Peter was in creche and Aunty B took Tim for me – as a side note, looking after a baby in church is a really great way to help a mom out; it lets her listen to a sermon and be able to focus on the words she sings. Anyway, I was able to listen and one of the application points was that we should be a thinking people; a people of reason. We should think about our faith and apply our minds to matters of God.
I was very convicted. It has been a really long time since I have applied my mind to God or thought through matters of faith. I have attended Bible study and tried to contribute; I have been to church but rarely absorbed what is said and when I do have a quiet time it is usually an all about me and my life and things that affect me journal session. It has been far too long since I thought about God as He is and not as He relates to me. Too long since I had an academic discussion on theology or thought of things beyond how I am affected.
I started to wonder what I spend my time thinking about and I saw how self absorbed I have become; how much I have let my world shrink. My thoughts are not worth the penny offered to hear them. I think things, my mind is not blank; they are just useless thoughts. This week I tried to take note of what I thought and I looked for ways to improve my thought life.
Here are some of my top time consuming thoughts and what I am trying to replace them with:
1) How will I get everything done?
I spend ages thinking about all that has to be done and making list upon list and planning and stressing because it can’t all be done but should be done and what parts can I afford to not do. This is probably the thing I spend most time thinking about. This week I try to combat these thoughts with Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1.2-3.
2) How will my boys turn out?
I spend a fairly large amount of time wondering if I am being a good parent and if I am being a good example to my boys. Are my decisions scarring them forever? Am I moulding them into godly, honourable men, upstanding members of society. Am I making them into good people. I am trying to remind myself that Prov 22.6 says Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.
3) Where am I going in life?
I often wonder where I am going professionally and what path I should choose. I wonder what work to do and what hours to look at. I wonder what Colin will end up doing. When I get anxious about the future I try remind myself the word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119.105.
4) Are we financially secure?
This has been looming large on my mind recently. Now that we are 2 children, 1 salary and a hike in all prices – do we have enough money, do we spend it wisely, are we being good stewards. A great verse for those times is seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Matthew 6.33
5) Other useless thoughts
The rest of my time I think about the royal wedding and house hunters international and other useless things. Just in general for life I keep reminding myself whatever is true, whatever is hobourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4.8
I hope that this a challenge and encouragement to you. I pray that we would use the Word to make our thought lives better. In so doing may we be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12.2