Runaway Thoughts

Commit your ways to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established. – Proverbs 16:3 

Isn’t it amazing how one innocent look or offhand comment can send your thoughts spiraling?

I was pushing my cart through Costco the other day when a middle-aged mom and her two teenage daughters rounded the corner into my aisle and headed my way.  About twenty feet away the mother began waving at me, as if calling me to come closer.  Her daughters frantically tugged at her arms to get her to stop.  A moment later she did.  I could see her face redden as she looked beyond me and hurried past, clearly embarrassed by the case of mistaken identity.

I was embarrassed too, and my mind started reeling:

• What made her think I was someone else?  Do I look fat?  
• I’m definitely out of shape, I better hit the gym.
• I shouldn’t have eaten that big lunch!
• Why were they too embarrassed to stop and explain? Do I look unfriendly?
• And speaking of friends, why haven’t my best friend and I gotten together for so long?  Why are we so busy?  Am I actually that busy, or just a bad friend? Well, I’m too busy to get to the gym, that’s for sure, which is why that lady thought I was her fat friend….

And on and on it went.  

Thankfully, this was a harmless case of mistaken identity and my thoughts were back on track by the time I hit the bakery. But I was a little shaken by how quickly my self-criticism had spiraled out of control.

Aren’t you glad God’s thoughts about us don’t spiral similarly?  God wants us to think of ourselves the same way He does.  That’s why His Word says:

• 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 (Philippians 4:8).

• We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 15:5).

The next time your critical thoughts start spiraling out of control, hit the brakes and ask yourself, “Would God talk to me this way?” If the answer is no, then turn your thoughts to Him, focusing instead on what is pure, excellent, and praiseworthy. 

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