Transformed: Mental Health - Day 1

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV

 Do you have perfect peace today? I know some days my mind has a mind of its own, and it's anything but peaceful. I can't seem to think clearly about anything. I think about things that could happen. I fret over consequences of what has happened. My imagination runs wild with all kinds of negative possibilities. And no matter what I do, I can't seem to bring my thoughts under control. I don't have the "perfect peace" of God. Sound familiar? 

The Bible gives the reason for this condition. We don't have perfect peace because our minds are not "stayed" on God. The Hebrew word for "mind" in this verse is not referring to the logical, rational, problem-solving part of the mind. Instead, it is the word for imagination. It's our imagination that causes us to lose our peace. 

 The only way to fix it is to fix your mind on God. Get a hold of your imagination, grab it by the scruff of the neck, and bring it to God. The Bible says, "Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). Bring your worries to him in prayer, then change the focus of your attention. Think about God. Lean into God, hold on to him, put your trust in him. When you do, he will give you peace of mind. And when you have peace of mind, then the logical, rational, problem-solving part of your mind will be able to think clearly.

When you fix your mind on God, God fixes your mind.

Next Steps. Write down your answers to these questions. 

What did you hear?

What do you think?

What will you do?

Now talk to God...

Work Cited

Warren, R. (2014). Daily devotions: Transformed: How God Changes Us. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: Saddleback Church.