Stop the racing thoughts

But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

— 1 Corinthians 2:16b (AMPC)

I reached the curb in front of the airport, where my friend was coming to pick me up. I was calm and relaxed and thought of the great conversation we would have. To my surprise, she wasn’t there yet, which was odd because she’s the kind of person who’s never late for anything. I spotted what I thought was her car and took a step forward, but the car went past me, and there was a stranger in it.

Not more than three minutes had passed, but I realized I was now anxious and worried. What had happened to her? Had she been in an accident? Did she forget me? From peace to anxiety in less than three minutes, and nothing had changed—nothing except my mind. Worried thoughts were racing inside me.

I pulled out my cell phone and started to dial her number, then I heard a car honking and saw her pull up to the curb. My mind shifted back to calmness, and even joy as we started catching up. How quickly my emotions had swayed back and forth in those few minutes!

Sometimes I find it incredibly easy to hear God speak and to believe Him, and other times, worry and anxiety make it extremely hard to hear His voice. The Bible says we are to walk by faith and not by sight, but that day at the airport, I was definitely being led by what I saw. When we worry, we’re not walking in faith or trusting God.

Read Also: Fear God, Not people

For many years, I had a critical, suspicious, and judgmental mind. That may seem normal for many nonbelievers, but I was a Christian. I was operating with the same mindset that I’d had for years, because it was normal to me—I had no idea that my wrong thinking was causing any problems.

Since no one had taught me otherwise, I didn’t know I could do anything to change my thought life. No one had told me that God had provided a new way for us to do life by renewing our minds (see Romans 12:2).

One day I read 1 Corinthians 2:16, where Paul says we have the mind of Christ. What could he have meant? I pondered that verse for days. I eventually realized that having the mind of Christ doesn’t mean we’re sinless or perfect, but it means that we begin to think the way He thinks. Because we have His mind, we think on things that are good and honorable and loving. We can defeat Satan’s attacks by thinking and speaking God’s thoughts.

Prayer Starter: Father, I want to live with the mind of Christ. Please help me today to think kind, loving thoughts about myself and about others. Thank You for being faithful to remind me in each moment of what to focus on. In Jesus’ Name, amen.