I breathe better in an uncluttered environment, don’t you? When everything is in its place, I can find what I need when I need it. My eyes feel rested when there are no piles to be seen. I don’t have to feel irritated looking around and thinking, Oh, I need to take care of that, or, Oh, goodness, I really need to find the time to some deep cleaning. This is a mess! Those kinds of thoughts are usually followed by, Why can’t you get it together? This is unacceptable!
Environment Influences
In the same way, the environment inside my thought life influences me. If I’m thinking cluttered thoughts of shame for not living up to MY expectations, it’s a given my day is going to go downhill.
When I start my day dwelling on God’s goodness, His protection and His provision for my life, then life is going to seem so much brighter. Yes, challenges will come, but I’ve already reminded myself I’m not alone and He will help just like He has helped me before.
Your Thought Life is Your Domain
Just like you oversee your home and have the right to choose whether you want a minimalist environment, or a baroque or Victorian environment with plenty of beloved collections, or somewhere in between, you take charge of what goes on in your thought life.
You don’t have to dwell on every thought that comes to your mind.
You have the power to take them captive.
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 NLT
If you look at the entire verse you see the word casting in KJV and destroy in NLT and other versions. In other words, you must put some effort into getting rid of bad thoughts.
I think the best way to do that is to replace them with good thoughts.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8, 9 – THE MESSAGE
Your inner life is with you always.
Why not make it a God-honoring place full of gratitude and praise? Then, your thought life will influence your feelings. And your journey will go better.
Hey! I’m on a journey. I don’t pretend I’m doing all this perfectly. I’m sharing the goals and dreams I have in my heart in this series, “A Rich and Satisfying Life.” This is my twenty-third post of examining a life free from the clutter of both wrong thoughts, attitudes, expectations, and too-full calendars, as well as physical clutter. You can click here to see all the links to the series.
This series is part of a Write28Days challenge sponsored by Anita Ojeda. The challenge is now over, but I am still working at the goal of writing 28 times on my subject.
This series also closely aligns to my One Word for the Year which is “purge.” I’m on a mission to see both physical and mental clutter be removed from my journey. Purging the clutter from my thought life might well be the most important purge of all!
All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy.
I will link to these great communities: Grace & Truth, Inspire Me Monday, InstaEncouragements Link-Up, Tell His Story, Let’s Have Coffee. One Word Link-Up, Grace at Home
Such simple but powerful thoughts, Jerralea! “If I’m thinking cluttered thoughts of shame for not living up to MY expectations, it’s a given my day is going to go downhill.”
I have lived this many a time! But gratefully I have also lived the converse-dwelling on God’s goodness. What a diference a thought makes! Thank you for keeping us focused on taking our thoughts captive!
Donna, I love this: “What a difference a thought makes.”
If we could just bring ourselves to focus on one good thing, it could well change the trajectory of our day.
Humm.. This is thought-stirring. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Blessings friend.
Paula, one of our Wednesday night speakers at my church calls his messages, “pot-stirring.” In other words, he wants to stir the pot and get everybody passionate about his subject.
I like your phrase, “thought-stirring,” better!
currently this is hard for me. I’m experiencing 12 weeks of unexplained sinus headaches. 3 antibiotics (the first one in March worked and then in early april the headache came back so ENT said allergies not so far nothing has worked to take them away). sinus scan shows all clear except for arthritis in my neck and some thickening in one sinus cavity that indicates inflammation due to allergy. yet i’ve never had seasonal allergies and don’t usually get headaches! super frustrated and Satan is invading my thoughts with fears, anxiety, depression. Am trying to focus on the Lord and His healing power. Have several friends and husband praying for me. Am just so weary. Sorry to dump but this post was good and reminds me i need God to fill my mind.
Faith, I am praying for you for healing and also that God will help you fill your mind with thoughts of Him.
Well said. I agree with you and am finding that I need to limit time listening to news. Also limiting social media. My husband and I have developed a habit of reading scripture at breakfast and dinner.
Carol, I love that you and your husband read scripture together every morning and evening. What a way to book-end your day!
I’ve been working – very slowly, it seems! – on decluttering my home for a long time, and I’m finding the same thing. My thoughts are less cluttered and distracted when my surroundings are less cluttered, and so it’s led me to work on decluttering my thought life as well. Love the Scripture and encouragement you shared on that topic!
(I also still have a couple of posts left from Write 28 Days that I haven’t finished and published. LOL)
Visiting from IMM#18
Kym, thank you for sharing! I am glad to know I’m not alone! And you are totally correct – it is a process that takes a while.
I like your method — replace destructive thoughts with positive, thoughts. I find praise works best for me. And I like your perseverance – keep going, you’re almost at 28!
Thanks so much, Suzette. This is totally a work of perseverance; but it’s a good way to channel my stubbornness … I can’t let a series get the better of me!
I keep being drawn to your titles in link ups lately. Keep up the good content!
Lauren, thank you! You just made my day.
I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal since March of 2017. I don’t write a lot, but while reviewing the day in order to choose what to write, I find myself smiling at all the things I enjoy–even if they’re the same as yesterday’s blessings–the aroma of fresh coffee, the delight of berries on oatmeal, soft music in a quiet office, family and friends with whom to share life, etc. You are so right, Jerralea: good habits drive out bad habits, just as Desiderius Erasmus said centuries ago: “A nail is driven out by another nail; a habit is driven out by another habit.”
That’s right! Replace the bad with something better! Thanks for sharing, Nancy.
I’ve really been working hard to declutter my thought life the past few months. I can fall into self-pity thoughts quickly, and I know the Lord doesn’t want me to dwell on those kind of thoughts. You’re so right that purging the clutter from our thought life might be the most important of all! So glad you linked up at our One Word linkup, Jerralea.
Lisa, I want to thank you for hosting the One Word Link-Up. It has helped me keep my focus knowing on the 22nd of every month there will be an opportunity to talk about my Word. You are an awesome hostess!
I often tell my family and friends that we don’t not have to think every thought that pops into our head…but it is very hard I know, depending on what is going on at the time. Good advice here-Always timely
This is a subject that I’m passionate about sharing in my counseling which doesn’t mean I’m immune to the battle myself! I agree that the way to deal with those thoughts is to replace them. I believe that’s what Paul meant when he wrote in Ephesians 4 that we’re to put off the practices of the old man and put on the practices of the new (Eph. 4.22-24). I love the comparison to clutter around us. Speaking of which, I need to do some serious decluttering in my home. 🙂
Wonderful and needed message, Jerralea. I agree that we need to replace what we think about with good thoughts–God’s goodness. We can’t leave the space empty when we take every thought captive, because the enemy’s determine to fill it with something less productive and even detrimental to our spiritual health.
Such a needed message. I am a constant work in progress these days. “Your inner life is with you always. Why not make it a God-honoring place full of gratitude and praise?” Yes! I cannot let our thoughts wander down a path of discouragement.
This is so very true. I work so much better in an uncluttered space