The longer I sat in traffic, the angrier I became.
When I lived in Connecticut, I traveled to work on Interstate 95 where cars were often bumper to bumper. Drivers beeped or sometimes yelled at each other because there was so much clutter. We all wanted to move along. I was annoyed and tense. Focusing on the music on the radio or capturing beautiful moments in nature was difficult because of the cluttered highway. I wanted to exit the highway but couldn’t because of the traffic. By the time I arrived at work, I was cranky and didn’t have much time to unwind.
The thoughts in our minds can be cluttered just as traffic can. Our great moment or day can be spoiled by something that clutters our minds and takes us away from the present moment. Negative thoughts can affect our health, sense of peace, and ability to think clearly, hijacking our joy and peace.
Regardless of the clutter, our minds can create powerful thoughts. God knew there would be times when our minds would get cluttered. He used Paul to give us a guide to help us redirect our thinking so we can think about noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable things—good things that require positive attention.
Thinking on these things is not always an easy task. We must strive to keep our minds clear of clutter so we can hear from God and see our way clearly through circumstances that want to negatively overtake our thoughts.
When negative thoughts rush through our mind and clutter it, we can combat them by listening to an inspirational song or quote or by taking a peace break to remind ourselves of all the good things that have happened in our lives.
Even though your mind may get cluttered, you can use God’s power to clean it out.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Melissa Colin is an educator who has taught at the elementary level for many years. She is also a certified coach, speaker, and trainer with the John Maxwell Group. She is dedicated to inspiring and helping others improve their personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. They enjoy doing activities that are fun and engaging, and that allow them time to bond.