I know it, but how do I do it?

I’ve been thinking about just how many sermons I’ve heard during my lifetime.  Considering that I’ve been in church since birth, attended Christian schools from kindergarten – college, and went to a Christian camp every summer from age 8 – 18, that number is well over 6,000.  Wow.  I’ve never really calculated that until now.  The reality is that I’ve memorized hundreds of verses and heard sermons preached on the same passages over and over again.  I’ve known all the right answers for as long as I can remember.  What good is all of that head knowledge if I’m not applying it?

When I found myself in the “depths of despair”, I would read/meditate on so many verses that seemingly applied to my situation, yet…..nothing.  I struggled with practically applying the truths I knew in my head to my everyday life.  I was miserable.

There were several breakthrough moments--passages that were so familiar, yet they jumped off the page at me.  The first was Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  

Let’s be honest.  Most of us have heard this verse preached in the context of listing all the things that we should/should not watch, listen to, visit, associate with, etc.  I agree.  There are plenty of things in life that are not true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise.  However, this is what jumped off the page at me:  Whatever is true…..think about these things.

Is it true?  There are a couple of huge things that happened for me here.  I realized first of all, that the source of my despair and misery was not external.  It was my wrong thinking.  I was not thinking truth.  Wow.  More than 6,000 sermons in my life, and I was having trouble with truth?  No, it’s not that I was believing lies or questioning the truth of the Bible.  Practically, in everyday life, I was not thinking truth.  I would be all stressed out over lists of things that I thought I needed to do – everyday housework, remodeling rooms, couponing, meal planning, complete clean-out and reorganization of my house, read several books, do in-depth Bible studies…I could go on and on.  Sure, those things don’t sound too outrageous….if you took them one or two at a time.  The problem was that I would decide that I would need to do several or most of those things in one night or weekend.  Yes, I was crazy!  So here’s what I would do.  I would have conversations with myself (sometimes out loud):

Do you have to do all of the 12 humongous projects on your list today?  No

What is necessary for your family to survive? Cooking, some laundry, having a sane wife and mom

Several books?  Really?  Ok…one at a time, not necessarily every day

In-depth Bible study? Personal time with God – Yes.  Hours of study?  No 

(I have more to say about this.  I’ll save it for another post.)

 

Then there are all the “what ifs” of life.  What if…..I get sick, lose a job, mess up, let others down, lose a loved one?  Ok.  Am I thinking about some thing or circumstance that hasn’t happened?  Then I am not thinking truth.  God’s grace IS sufficient for what IS happening.  “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.”  NOT “He giveth more grace the more I think about all the bad things that might happen some day.”

 
Amazingly….I started to change.  Why?  My thinking was changing.  
 

Remember, it’s a gradual process.  Start thinking truth.  It will change your life!