Dizzy from spinning the same thoughts over and over, motion sickness nauseates my soul. Replaying the scene a thousand times, it’s now perfectly carved into my mind. Rehearsing the past drags me into this never-ending loop. Make it stop. How do I reverse the spinning in my mind?
Rehearsing pain
“and does not keep a record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:8b (HCSB)
Chewing on pain with a sense of entitlement, it’s like a worn-out piece of gum; nothing but endless grinding of a flavorless wad. Collecting hurts I have no right to keep, God opens his hand and asks me to release them to Him. Instead, repeated words dig deeper into the foothold growing in my heart. He says, “Give those to me; the longer you hang on to them, the more they’ll hurt you.” But the spinning won’t stop.
Reverse the spinning
Braking a train of thought sends sparks flying as momentum fights to keep moving against the grind of effort. It’s the same with the groove worn in my brain. These thoughts need to be interrupted and reversed.
It’s impossible to stop thinking; a blank mind is a fleeting reality. The truth is, thoughts determine our destination. Where are yours taking you?
Keeping a record
Momentum is maintained by a record of wrongs. Playing it backward breeds bitterness; playing it forward births anxiousness.
Projecting into the future flaps my sense of control in the winds of uncertainty. How do I reverse the spinning in my mind?
Practice makes perfect
When we perseverate, we perfect our pain and encourage more spinning, deeper and deeper into a destination we never intended to live. Minds full of things we should release from our grip, but can’t because we’re stuck. Instead of taking thoughts captive, we’ve let them run wild and multiply until they control us rather than us controlling them. It’s impossible to reverse the spinning in our minds.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:8 (ESV)
Rehearse Grace
It’s time to purge the closets of our minds from the worst, the ugly and the cursed. Make space for what is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling and gracious. Nurturing pain, hurt, loss, grief, uncertainty, anxiousness and bitterness only clutters our souls. Fill your life with gratitude and praiseworthy thoughts instead. Rehearse grace.
How do I reverse the spinning in my mind?
“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 (MSG)
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