elevated thinking

i am most definitely a mental meanderer.  i start out on one path, with one goal for the day, one consuming passion.  and then, before i know it, my mind is wading through muck and mire.  i am focusing on all the wrong things.  my attitude is in shambles.  i am overwhelmed.  i am distracted.  i am useless. i start the day with some breakfast spurgeon [hubby reads to us while i fix breakfast and bag up our lunches] and close the day with some bedtime spurgeon.  this helps me to, in the least, bookend my day with the right things.  these activities have become a part of daily life for us.  two times a day, i am able to focus and savor the time spent as hubby and i draw closer to the Throne together.  then, since hubby goes to work [way too] early in the morning, it leaves me time to putter around the house, listen to music, and spend time just me and my Savior.  ahhh, the days always start out so well.

it is what happens between those precious bible-at-breakfast and bible-at-bedtime bookends that sets my mind meandering through the unlovely. the unlovely things of this life.  what is most frustrating is that these works of the world are never tattered looking and ugly, they always appear so appealingly bound.  gold lettering.  flashy print.  perfectly crisp paper.  they just beckon you to open them and spend some time perusing the pages.  filling your mind with distracting and entertaining drivel.  the storylines are fascinating.  the promises are alluring.  lovely little diversions.  some of these worldly works are lengthy novels that can suck up years of one's life while others are simply enthralling short stories.  with titles like:  people, emails, doubts, schedules, tasks, errands, personalities, disputes, deadlines, insecurities, misunderstandings.  just one distraction after the next until before you know it, you have spent your entire day [or life] pouring over those seemingly all-important pages.

too often, i sit in the dark before falling asleep and ponder those all too familiar questions:  what happened?  where was i today?  was your name glorified today? why was my light so dim?  where is my flavor?  frustrating.

but, praise God that he is intimately acquainted with me. that he searches out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. [psalm 139:3]  and on sunday, God showed me just how well He knows my heart and thoughts. [yet again]  i like to think that because God knows my heart and struggles, he elected that pastor tim should discuss Philippians 4:8 on sunday.  he spoke about the super 8 of elevated thinking.  what a refreshing reminder that God knows how we struggle.  and, that He has provided guidance for our daily living.

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.

i just sat in the pew and soaked it in.  what a balm for my soul.  what encouragement.  and what a challenge.  but that is the walk of a believer, right?  a daily work.  a challenging effort to be heavenly minded and work out our salvation of earth.  it isn't perfect.  it is not always dignified.  but we are called to progress.  to keep moving upward.  to let Him saturate us fully so that we pour out to others the beauty of Christ.  to rely on Him alone for our identity and value and strength.  He is all sufficient.  in Him we live and move and have our being.  so, i want to take on the challenge and focus on becoming a person of elevated thinking.  my gaze fixed on Christ.  letting the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.  i want to - no.  i resolve to - be a person who is solely consumed by what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  soli Deo gloria.