What's on Your Mind?

We are CONSTANTLY bombarded by bad news on a daily basis. What, with 24/7 news availability, newpapers (okay, the "e-news" now), Facebook, Twitter, other social networks, and just people talking ... it's all to easy to let it get you down and KEEP you down. The world can have you believe that it's a pretty depressing place. What can we do?

I've long been accused of being ignorant of world affairs because my reaction is not quite the same as many people's. I don't always watch the news. I've got a life to live. I've got a family who needs my attention. There are things I'm busy doing. The news can wait.

Now, what happens when bad news surround me? For the most part, I try not to let it get to me. I try not to let it develop root into my heart. I try to follow the advice of the Serenity Prayer:

O God and Heavenly Father,
Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed;
Courage to change that which can be changed,
And wisdom to know the one from the other,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

The more familiar prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Essentially, I try to fix what I can fix, pray for the things I can't, and let God handle the rest. An example: Just last week, the Casey Anthony trial came to a close, acquitting Casey Anthony of the murder of her precious little toddler, Caylee Anthony. The overwhelming vibe is that she is guilty of killing her little girl (even I believe this). However, the jury (of which I wasn't a part) let her go because they felt that the evidence presented to them was just not enough to convict her. There are other issues involved in this case, but what's done is done. While many believe that justice was not served, and I momentarily felt the same way, I just think it was a case not meant for mankind's hands. I believe that God's hands are in the middle of this judgment, and perhaps her "walk" will be more costly than any guilty sentence can ever be. Read more about my thoughts on this here.

Crime is up in some areas. Mean-spirited people are everywhere. Cities have been torn apart by tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Other than going to those places and helping in the rebuild, there's not much we can do but pray and send supplies to the best of our abilities. People are looking for someone who can lift them up, not make them feel even more desperate about their utter loss. People are suffering from loss of a dearly loved one, oftentimes suddenly. Some people are experiencing hunger, unemployment, eviction, illness (obvious and hidden), addictions, depression; in combinations or even all the above. Satan's playground is busy and HUGE.

However, where there is light, there is no longer darkness. Where there is sin and consequences of sin, grace more abounds. When the world gets you down, return to the Lord. Remind yourself that He is your source of peace.

My favorite passage to gauge what I think about and leave on my mind is in Philippians 4:8-9:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.

I've heard a couple of pastors say that what you think about eventually manifests into your life. Your life begins with a thought. Your thought is governed by your emotions, which leads how you feel about that thought. Your emotions drive you into making a decision. Your decisions determine what action you'll take. Your series of actions will develop into a habit. Your habits shape your character. Your character reveals your life's destiny. Quickly broken down, this means:

thought >> emotion >> decision >> action >> habit >> character >> destiny.

Conversely, if you're unhappy about where you are in your life, take a brutally honest look at your character. What habits have you developed over time? Trace your habits back to actions you tend to take when faced with certain decisions. How did you make these decisions? Under what circumstances did you make these decisions? How were you feeling when you made these decisions? Pinpoint where these kinds of thoughts came from? Where is your focus? What is your influence in life? Is God leading you? Or are circumstances and situations and/or people of the world leading you? It was like a light bulb went off in my head. I've done some study, and put those principles to work, and they worked for me! There are plenty of days when I still feel out of control, but when I judge myself, God has always plainly revealed my issues of life from the root in my garden of heart.

It took me a while to understand when Jesus told a potential follower "let the dead bury their dead." What??? It sounds so callous and cold that it doesn't match the "kind Savior" we believe Jesus to be. An application I've drawn from this passage is that there will always be things that need to be done, but do not to let them consume your ultimate purpose or time away from God's will for your life. To me, it's an admonition similar to the passage about the woman who broke the alabastar box of costly perfume to anoint Jesus. Judas criticized her for "wasting" the ointment, that she could've sold it and given the money for the poor. Jesus answered him and said that "the poor will always be with you, but I am only here for a time." It's not at all that Jesus or the woman did not care for the poor, but that Jesus' time was short and the woman was led to anoint Jesus before His crucifixion. He memorialized this woman for her deed, and I'm sure that when He was gone, she became an example of blessing and hope to those who were poor.

I say all of this to say that we are all affected by the bad things that go on in this world, some to a greater extent than others. We can choose to let problems, especially others' problems, negatively affect our lives and even take root in our hearts, or we can boldly determine what action we CAN take to alleviate the problems, and let God lead us where He may. And, we can let God have all the room and quit trying to muscle in on what is clearly His territory, and watch the miracles take place in our lives and in the lives of others.