Our minds are always busy. Mine is the busiest on Monday mornings. I jump out of bed at 7.15am, drink tea as part of my morning routine, switch on my handphone and start to worry about my 8.30am meeting.
My mind tends to be drawn to “what can go wrong?” instead of “what can go right?” I role play in my mind “what if” scenarios on what could go wrong and matches each scenario with a solution.
Anxiety rises, breathing quickens and heartbeat races. I wonder if my experience sounds familiar to you. Is your mind busy like mine?
What does God say about guarding our minds?
Philippians 4:6-7 “ 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
A good habit to add to our morning routine is to start by thanking God for the day. This places the day under God’s sovereign and loving hand. It also helps our own mental health that God is in control of our lives.
Philippians 4:8 “ 8Finally, 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.”
Secondly, God asks us to think about pure, commendable and excellent thoughts. We are all drawn to our handphones whilst drinking our coffee or eating breakfast. Have you ever considered the “nutritional value” of what you are reading on your handphone?
Consider starting your day by feeding your mind with pure, lovely and excellent content. This could be a morning devotion on a Bible app, a Christian hymn on Spotify, a motivational quote on Pinterest or an exercise video on YouTube.
May the peace of God be with us as we actively guard our minds in Christ Jesus.
Grace & Peace,
Deacon Alvin Fu
