Muddled Minds

To 'reflect' one must realize the power of the mind to direct the course of action one's mind actually takes within that time of 'reflection'. What our minds contemplate may be quite different than what we intended as we began that time of reflection, being influenced by what we have seen and heard earlier, or whatever makes demands upon our thoughts at the moment. We tend to have a hard time 'reflecting' today because of the varying number of distractions we have that vie for our attention, don't we? I find the night hours can be the most troublesome at times, being awake for hours 'contemplating' something that is 'worrying' my mind. Rather than 'contemplating' our worries, it would be best to let God take those and contemplate his instructions or promises instead!

Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. (Psalm 119:54-55)

I often use the term 'cogitate' when I want to get the point across that I need time to reflect upon something that is troubling me, or that I need time to ponder how it is a solution could be found. When we 'cogitate', we are envisioning a certain way a thing is or could be. We see it this way, then that way, until we have dissected it into 'manageable pieces'. An apt word we use today to describe this process is 'brainstorming'. It is as though our brains are mulling through all the ideas, envisioning this or that, then we kick out the bad ones and keep ruminating on the better ones. Sometimes God's word can do that within our thoughts - helping us consider all the different ways we have been handling life's challenges, all the while helping us to 'kick out' the bad ways and focus on the better ones.

Obedience doesn't have to be difficult, but if we refuse to take the time to allow reflection upon his word, there is really nothing to help us sort out the stuff we need to 'kick out' of our minds. We retain way too much 'stuff' in our brains that doesn't need to be influencing our decisions, don't we? Things we see on TV, hear at work, listen to on the radio, see in print, or just 'make up' because we don't understand what is happening. We make obedience more difficult when we don't allow times of reflection upon his word to 'sort out' the stuff that needs to go and cement the stuff that needs to remain. Reflection is a time when our minds are being made healthier. We need these times more than we might realize. I set aside time each day for a bit of reflection. How about you? If it is not a habit with you yet, why not begin today? The time you take today to sort out the stuff that just muddles up the mind might just be the beginning of something good! Just sayin!