Glum thoughts result in glum outlooks and withered motivations to live a purposed life. That sentence describes much of my thought patterns and lifestyle over way too many recent weeks. To be blunt about it: My older adult brain has not been firing on all its best neuronal cylinders. Perhaps you are experiencing the same state of a dimming mindset. What to do?
St. Paul—who faced overwhelming difficulties throughout his life—shared these thoughts with a group of cherished fellow believers: “Finally, my friends, keep your mind on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV)
Whatever is “true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper” has a lot of competition: The noisome furor of anger, distress and worry that clog media channels and capture personal conversations. My attention is being pulled away from a mindset that is truly worthwhile—what’s good and godly. Morose thinking will eventually erode the health of my aging brain.
The ideas Paul promotes are not only good theology, but also offer practical advice for living through the coming weeks and months of national political turmoil. The hard part: Putting this good counsel into practice. Taking tangible steps that make “thinking on these things” a workable way to live beyond gloom.
The simplest solution that comes to mind: Shut down or diminish whatever is not true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper. In my life, these include my smartphone’s newsfeeds, endlessly stressful punditry, conversations that veer towards ain’t-it-awful or self-talk whose default content circles around the same fretful worries. Because I am a Christ-follower, I have better choices for “thinking on these things.”
God-willing, Jesus’ invitations to pondering my purpose will bring calming grace into the days ahead….
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