Manage Your Mission

Manage Your Mission – Foundations – You get to choose what you think about

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Please enjoy this excerpt from Manage Your Mission – Living wisely and abundantly for today and eternity.  This book will help craft your life mission, establish its priorities, and succeed in each area: Faith – Family – Fitness – Field – Friends – Fun – Finances. 

I once saw a funny social media post: “I’m having trouble sleeping, so I’m just going to lie here and think about all my failures in life.” But as I tell others — and retell myself regularly — we get to choose our thoughts.  It takes practice, but consciously think about something else if you contemplate past failures or hurts.  These passages come to mind:

2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

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.

A friend was lamenting about issues with his house, then he paused and said, “A lot of people would like to have my problems.” He meant it humbly, not arrogantly.  Yes, it was a real problem to him but a “first-world problem.”  His phrase stuck with me.  Even on my worst days, such as walking around the oncology floor during one of my ten hospital stays, I would remind myself that over seven billion people would love to trade places with me, cancer and all.  I have salvation in Jesus, a secure eternity, a great wife and family, terrific friends, insurance, and excellent medical care.  Also, despite the very aggressive cancer, it was a well-known type and reacted well to chemotherapy.  So my goal of getting through life without having a disease named after me is still possible.  Reflecting on those things was a great way to stop internal whining. 

So if you are the type that ruminates, try to get into the habit of self-talk, where you remind yourself that you can think of something else if you like and be kind to yourself.  Then do it.

Copyright 2022

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible

One thought on “Manage Your Mission – Foundations – You get to choose what you think about”

  1. Great advice! Too many get into the bad habit of worrying about every little thing, or feeling guilty about what they’ve already done. Even sinful things don’t require constantly beating one’s self up over it. Focus on what is righteous and seek to reflect it.

    And by the way, I don’t spend too much time doing either, but I can still benefit by thinking in more positive terms about how to live my life. Now retired, I’m getting lazier…which is like Michael Jordan scoring even more points. I can do better.

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