Step Off The Treadmill
By Noelle Dey
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Thoughts can run uncontrollably through my mind as I relive my mistakes.
Did you know that underwear can stick to the inside of your pants if you don’t use dryer sheets… and they can un-stick as you walk? I should know. I accidentally flung a ball of purple satin from my pant leg in the middle of a crowded gym.
I’ve wiped my nose and smeared a booger onto the side of my nostril. I didn’t find it until the end of my workday after visiting numerous clients.
I wish that was as bad as it got.
We were running late. I gave my six-year-old the car keys and said,
Be very careful. If you drop these, they’ll go down the sewer.
Yes, mom. I’ll be careful. Please let me open the door myself.
I got in the car just a minute later. My daughter was buckled in. I was buckled in. But the keys were nowhere to be found,
Where did you put the keys?
They were right there.
Obviously not. Where did you put them?
I don’t know, mom. They were right there.
Did you drop them? Are they in the sewer?
My voice rose as I saw the guilt on her face,
I knew I couldn’t trust you. This is just great. How could you have been so careless?
I called my husband hoping he could somehow ease my anger. The moment he said “hello” I saw something wedged in between the car seats.
My keys. I began to sob.
I profusely apologized to my daughter. She graciously forgave. I prayed and asked for God’s forgiveness. His Word in Psalm 103:12 tells me,
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
The story should have ended there, right? I hate to admit that condemning thoughts continued to run my mind for a week. But alas, after pure exhaustion, I finally stepped off that negative mental treadmill and let God’s Truth prevail.
Have destructive thoughts ever run through your mind? If so, here is our silver lining: God has the power to transform our obsessive minds. If we know how to obsess, we know how to concentrate. The only difference between unhealthy obsession and amazing faith is where we focus our concentration.
I used to read Philippians 4:6-7 and get intimidated with the idea of praying about everything. But I was never intimidated by being anxious or obsessing about everything. Isn’t that funny?
I was already meditating on everything… but it was within my own mind instead of letting things go and offering them up to God instead! We have the power. Are you ready to step off your treadmill?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us powerful minds. Help us when we are tempted to obsess over our inadequacies. Holy Spirit, guide us as we step off our destructive treadmills and offer our thoughts to You instead. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen!
© 2017 by Noelle Dey. All rights reserved.
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