Just Breathe: Hope And Help For Those Drowning In The Pain Of AddictionSample

Think a Whole New Way Part 3

One of the practical ways I’ve learned to let my roots go down deep (Colossians 2:7) is to meditate on God’s truth. It’s a value in my twelve-step program and throughout God’s Word. When I say meditate I’m not talking about lighting some incense, getting in an awkward position, and humming. No, the old adage is, “If you can worry, you can meditate.” It’s just turning a thought over and over in your mind. As you do that, your mind is being fed much-needed truth and you develop new patterns of thinking. I’ve learned that you can’t think a bad thought and a good thought at the same time. One of them has to go, so replacing that negative thought with a new one begins to change the way you think. Feed and Focus. Feed and Focus. Feed and Focus.

Whatever you choose to focus on has your attention, and what has your attention has you. It’s like a golfer who steps up on the tee box and notices that there is water on the right. So in his mind he begins to think, Oh man, there’s water on the right. There’s water on the right. There’s water on the right. Where do you think he’s going to hit it? In the water on the right! 

Sometimes we say, Okay, then I’m not going to think about that. I’m not going to think about that. I’m not going to think about that. And while you are telling yourself to not think about that, what are you doing? Yeah, thinking about that! So, it’s not so much to resist, as it is to replace. You have to change your focus. Colossians 3 shares that we can actually change our focus, set our minds in a better place.

From experience, let me tell you that when you set your mind on yourself and when your focus is on earthly things—worldly stuff, chasing bling, popularity, and fame—the inevitable result is worry, anxiety, guilt, envy, greed, unhealthy competition, pride, lust, insecurity, fear, and discouragement. 

But when you “set your mind on things above” and when Jesus is your focus and you choose to move through your day with an others-centered focus like he did, then all that other junk gets replaced by hope, confidence, humility, love, laughter, patience, security, and unexplainable peace. 

Every day you can roll out of bed and say, God, today I again surrender my life to you. Keep me focused on your presence in my life today, all day. Help me listen well as you try to guard my reactions, my tone, my attitude, and my choices. May my thoughts be fixed on you.