Were you aware that we have more than 6,000 thoughts every day? We constantly deal with a mix of thoughts, tasks, and emotions, creating a whirlwind of responsibilities and reflections. Questions like "Did I remember to pay that bill?" and "What should we have for dinner tonight?" frequently arise, prompting me to grab my phone and start browsing for recipes on Instagram and TikTok. This leads me down a social media rabbit hole, where additional thoughts suddenly flood my mind, such as the need to do laundry or the hope that my daughter submitted her homework.
My mind is always racing, a condition I refer to as spaghetti brain, anxiety, or busyness. If you know, you know. It can be a challenge to quiet my thoughts and drift off to sleep, a common experience for many nowadays. Below are 3 tips that that have helped me calm my anxious/busy mind.
Tip #1 - Think on things that are lovely and pure-resist negative thoughts
After finding out that we have more than 6,000 thoughts a day, it made me think: with all that opportunity, how many of my thoughts are on God's word daily?
Philippians 4:8 NLT says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable."
If I just start there and apply what is said in that scripture, that’s where I can begin to sort out my thoughts. Negative thoughts have no space to occupy my mind if I'm focusing on positive, beautiful, and pure things.
Tip #2 -Feed your mind with the good things of the spirit.
Author Vladimir Savchuk wrote, “A mindset is impossible to change without changing what your mind is filled with.”
I read this and immediately started to think about how I spent most of my day. I noticed that if I filled my day with worship, scripture, and devotion, my thoughts were more Christ-centered, and I was able to rely on the Word to calm my thoughts.
Romans 8:5 reminds us that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, and those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Tip #3 - Submit every thought (worry, anxiety) to God in prayer, for He is the solution.
Did you honestly believe that we could conclude this devotional without addressing the significance of prayer? Prayer serves as our means of connecting with God and expressing our thoughts! To get my thoughts out, I use what I refer to as a "dump book."
In this book, I take about 5 minutes or less to jot down the thoughts that have been plaguing me. Once that is done, I go to the Word of God and find a scripture for each individual thought.
Unsurprisingly, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I can find a scripture that helps me
with every single thought in my head. This gives me reassurance that God created me, and He knew my thoughts before I did. Therefore, He has the solution!
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON
Philippians 4:6 ESV "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known."
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Matthew 6:34 ESV "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."
TAKEAWAY
Start with a journal or a "dump book" and write out your thoughts, fears, worries, tasks, or whatever is taking up space in your mind. Search the scriptures for God's response. Pray those scriptures over yourself and your situation, then go back and journal how God showed up for you. God is intentional about His children; we have a resting place in Him. We can breathe, trust Him, and calm our racing minds with the Word.
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