Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Romans 12:2  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Count your blessings.”  But, there is a powerful psychological affect to this activity that makes it worth our time to ponder.  Thinking on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy will switch the gears of your mind.  If you begin to move your thoughts to these things instead of your problems, your mood will begin to shift.  Occasionally, we all are plagued by feelings of sadness.  Sometimes, we can immediately name the issue that is causing us to feel blue.  But, I find it is frequently just a combination of little things that I have allowed to pile up inside and I need to do a mental exercise of taking out the trash.

Was I dwelling on a remark someone made to me that they probably instantly forgot about?  Did I watch a movie or news program that caused me to pick up on someone else’s trouble?  Am I just disappointed about something that is going to work itself out but it just requires some time?  Take the time to examine the thoughts that have been running through your mind.   Take a proactive stance against these gloomy thoughts.  Don’t let them take up your mind space for too long.  Figure out  what is bubbling around in your brain, and take out the bad stuff quickly.

The word tells us that we are not to conform to the pattern of this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  This requires us to take charge of our thoughts and not allow them to run unchecked.  If your child was running unchecked towards something that would injure them, you would not look the other way.  You would quickly insert yourself into the situation and stop the child so they could avoid injury.  You must do the same with your own negative thoughts!  Negative thoughts will bring you depression, anxiety, irritability and all manner of harm.  Negative thoughts can even adversely affect your health, not just your mood.

Did you know we can’t think about two things at once?  When you find your emotions sliding and your self check shows negative thoughts, take this action.  Immediately begin to think about the things that going well in your life.  Do you have a home, car, clothes to wear, a family that loves you?  Do you have enough to eat? Do you have something that is worthwhile to occupy your time?  Can you hear the birds singing or see a flower blooming?  Thank God for the many things he has given you.  This is the process of renewing your mind by thinking on the pure, lovely and noble things that are everywhere.

Dear Father in Heaven, your word has the answers to our hurts, moods and emotions.  We do not wish to be transformed to this world, help us dig into your word frequently to find your solutions.  Lord, please help us be active in the identification and removal of the negative thoughts that inhabit our minds.  We ask for your help through your Holy Spirit to learn the new habit of counting our blessings and renewing our minds.

Suggested Song:   Joy,  King & Country