Do you ever lay down at night and have waves of thoughts fill your mind? I often get in bed at night and instead of my thoughts winding down it seems like that’s when my brain kicks on and I suddenly remember things I need to do, should have done, events coming up, text I need to send, and before that the silence I lay in is filled with the noise of busyness. We can get really good at doing a lot of things but then forget how those things weigh on our mind.
I have been traveling this week and as we were planning our day my cousin said “I want us to make sure we are actually seeing things we want to see, not just walking around the city without accomplishing anything we want to experience.” The same can come of our busy everyday routines. We can get a lot of tasks done but we aren’t even accomplishing the most important thing which is caring for our mind that holds the knowledge to do those things.
It’s interesting how we have grown to be more comfortable in busyness than we have in stillness. We love the hustle, the satisfaction, but we often miss the purpose. In busyness our minds can be taken off of the reality we live in and can become fixated on things that make us feel productive, used, and happy. As we have evolved into this routine we have lost the love of a quiet mind. Stillness makes us feel the opposite. I find myself not enjoying the stillness of life but growing to see the power in it. As we have evolved into this routine we have lost the love of a quiet mind.
A quiet mind is one that is ok with resting in a moment of silence, it can dial down the noise of the world because it knows those things are temporary. A quiet mind believes in the power of a restful moment because a rested mind is a fruitful mind. A quiet mind is refueled and has room to add what new things the Lord has for it. Oh how nice a quieted mind would be. Is it possible that we could trade our overcrowded thoughts with space to breathe? A quieted mind is exactly what God wants for us because in that we can hear the whispers he has so desperately wanted to share.
In line with our theme for the month a quiet mind is a sweet ingredient to mental health. A quiet mind is a healthy mind because it is in control of its thoughts and emotions, not the other way around. There’s a song called “Sound Mind” that serves as a reminder of God’s peace in the chaos of our life. It shares the power of God’s presence right beside us and how that is what gives us a sound mind. When we remember the presence of God we experience the peace of his presence and that is how we also experience a sound mind.
2 Corinthians 3:17 says “now the Lord is the Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” This freedom is freedom for our minds to not be in the bondage of fear, anxiety, and worry but to be refreshed with God’s spirit. This freedom we don’t just get to experience a few times but we truly get to live from it. Living in this freedom we get to have a clear mind and a peaceful mind.
We don’t panic and then experience peace, we begin with peace because we are already living from it. When a decision comes our way, we don’t fear making the wrong one but with a quiet mind we are able to have clarity and focus that leads to a confident choice. When you get bad news that can so easily worry your heart, worry won’t take hold of it anymore but it will be the overwhelming peace of the Lord. Isaiah 26:3 says “you keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.”
A mind who trusts in the Lord is one that experiences the perfect peace of Christ. I am so thankful that I get to experience the power of Christ in my mind. God keeps the peace of our minds, we can only access this peace through Christ but he is more than generous to give it. Christ delights in your quiet mind. With his power you can turn down the noise of the world, your to-do list, your relationship, and you can hear the whisper of God as he anoints you with a peace filled mind. You don’t have to respond to live with fear and anxiety anymore but instead you already have all that you need to experience a quiet, sound, and peaceful mind.
XO Scarlet