How you look at something often determines how it affects you. For example: you see a good friend at church, she seems to look right at you, you smile and wave and she turns away with an expression you can’t quite read. If you think, “Oh, she must not have seen me.” You will probably feel very little. If you think, “Uh-oh, why is she mad at me?” You might feel a bit anxious. If you think, “Gosh, I wonder what’s up – that was odd?” You might feel some concern for your friend. How we interpret anything and everything we go through has a huge impact on how it affects us. That’s why having God’s interpretation on things is so key to living in the fullness of life (John 10:10) that He wants for us.
This is why a frequent prayer of mine and one that increasingly grounds me is, “God, how would you have me think about this situation?” Or sometimes it sounds like this, “Holy Spirit, align my thoughts with Your thoughts.” I can’t begin to recount how many times this prayer has kept me from spiraling into fear or shame or doubt.
When I began my private practice as a therapist God was very kind to me and showed me how to think about the financial side of things. Through His word and my conversations with Him, He made it clear to me that He was my provider. And that I was not to think of the people who came to see me and paid money for that time, as my providers. I was to think of the two as quite separate. This has meant, when my caseload would go down, I was protected from fear or anxiety about having enough money to pay my bills. This was huge in those years when I was still single and had some hefty student load bills to pay off. When I would have a last minute cancellation, I was able to enjoy the extra hour as a gift, instead of as a loss of income.
Any time you are going through something difficult and it has you emotionally tossing and turning, ask the Lord, who loves and cares for you, “How would you have me think about this situation?”
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 (New Living Translation)
Listen for the scriptures He brings to mind. Persist in asking if at first you don’t hear something. Tell Him, “I’m struggling to hear you, Lord. But I know You know how to get through to me. I want to be grounded in Your word.” And then, when you get that word, think of it often. Marinade in it, so that, while you go through your difficulty, you are at peace, unshaken in hope.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3 (New Living Translation)