Tag: godly thoughts

What’s on Your Playlist?

Lisa Preuett

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

If you must run to music, then your Ipod or MP3 player is essential.  Specific songs are selected with the intent of motivating—pumping you up when you need it most. Just when you feel that all too familiar slump coming over you, one of your favorite tunes blasts away. Suddenly your mood is lifted and you feel new energy rising through every weary muscle of your body. The driving beat ignites your determination to keep going. Before you know it, you’re running to the rhythm of the music and you have no intention of slowing down. Song after song keeps you going until you’ve reached your goal.

These songs on your playlist are carefully chosen. Not just any song will do! Can you imagine choosing songs with negative lyrics? Words that would tear you down? Insult you? Words of discouragement?  Would you choose lullabies? Blues or slow-dance songs? Of course not! You’ll choose songs with a driving beat. Songs with powerful words. Songs designed especially with running in mind. What we listen to plays a huge part in how we run our race.

And so it is in our race of faith. What we choose to fix our mind on determines our thoughts. Our thoughts determine our attitudes. Our attitudes shape our behavior. And ultimately our behavior molds our character.

There are multiple voices clamoring for our attention daily: television, Internet, radio, and especially other people. We also hear whispers from within our own ugly flesh and from the enemy. The voices we embrace are like the songs we choose to include on our playlists. When life gets tough and our weary soul can’t go another step, what messages are going to blast into our mind? We have a choice as to which ones we’ll tune into. If we listen to the negative talk of the world, we’ll surely wear down and lose our momentum. But if we purposely choose to listen to God’s gentle—yet powerful—voice, His truth will ignite our determination to persevere in His strength. It’s critical that we tuck away truth into our mind so we don’t fall for the lies of this world. When we feel a slump coming on, whatever is downloaded on our mental playlist determines whether we’ll slow down or keep going.

Consider carefully what you download onto the playlist of your mind. Because ultimately what goes into your mind will affect your soul.  And the condition of your soul determines how you will spend the life God has graciously given you.

READY? Take a moment to reflect on the playlist of your mind. Which voices are the loudest? Are there any voices you need to delete? Ask God to guide you as you evaluate what you’ve been listening to.

GET SET. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

GO! Heavenly Father, help me choose truth in the midst of this world’s negativity. It’s often hard to decipher through multiple voices calling out to me. Help me embrace your word and make it my filter. May your truth guide me all day long and lift me up when things get rough. Praise you that your truth trumps all the lies of the world. Amen

running-playlist_3225667b

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

Time to Clean Out Your Clutter?

Lisa Preuett

With school out and more free time on my hands, I’m in the midst of cleaning out the clutter in my house. Outgrown and outdated clothing, broken toys,expired coupons, junk mail and items I don’t even recognize! And this is just the beginning of the stuff I’ve come across. As I attempt to go through each room, closet and drawer, I have to decide which category the item in question needs to go.

Trash it? Give it away? Move it to its proper place?

So I literally have three plastic bins in which these items will be tossed.

Trash: These are obvious and don’t take long to figure out. Something that’s broken, used up or never should have taken up residence in our house. Where did this come from? Why did we not throw this away sooner?

Give it away: This takes a bit more thought. Maybe the item is still of value but it doesn’t fit anyone in our household. Wrong size. Not our style. Someone can get some use out of this! Maybe a single mom in need of clothing for her growing children. A toy for a child who has nothing. I feel relieved as I bag these things up, knowing I’m getting rid of the clutter in my home but passing on something useful for someone else.

Put it where it belongs: These are the things simply out-of-place and need to be put back where they belong. This screwdriver doesn’t belong in the laundry room; it goes in the garage. This book needs to go back on the shelf instead of under the bed. Sometimes I laugh at where things end up and I think How did this get here?

Similarly, I often find myself going through a season where my mind is crowded with too much clutter. And I sense some junk growing in my heart. I can decide which category these things belong in. The thoughts, feelings and behaviors in question can be filtered through God’s perspective before I intentionally put them where they go.

Trash: These should be obvious to me, but unfortunately I’ve often held on to things for way too long that should have been trashed. Ugly thoughts. Prideful actions. Selfish behaviors. Yuck! Into the trash you go. These are the sins Christ died for. These are things destructive to my life. They should have no place in my heart or mind.

Give away: Sometimes I have those thoughts that need attention, but I shouldn’t dwell on them. Issues requiring concern aren’t destructive. But when the concern turns to worry or anxiety, it’s time to give it away. Who am I giving these thoughts to? God tells us to bring every thought captive to Him. To bring them straight to the throne of grace. The concerns about my child don’t go in the trash. The pain in my heart over a strained relationship doesn’t get thrown out. I give it to God. And sometimes He uses other people to help us carry our burdens.Maybe after I pour my heart out in prayer I should call a friend and ask for support.

Put in the proper place: Now this is where I really need wisdom and discernment! Some thoughts, attitudes and behaviors don’t need to be thrown out or given away. But they most certainly need to be prioritized…put in the right place in my life. Spending time with my friends is a blessing, but if I put it ahead of my relationship with my husband, it’s not in its proper place. Date nights with my husband are a top priority, yet if I focus more on this than my time with God, it’s not in its proper place. Posting on this blog is important to me, but if I ignore my daughter consistently while working on it, my calling as a mom is not in its proper place.

So, what about you dear friend? Is it time to clean out the clutter in your mind? Time to get rid of the junk in your heart? Is God calling you to a season of honestly looking at your priorities through His eyes? Toss the ugly stuff in the trash. Give away the concerns weighing you down. And put the blessings He’s lavished on you in their proper place.

Freedom washes over me as I watch the garbage truck take my trash out of sight. Peace comes to me when I drop off the bags of stuff at Goodwill. Confidence perks me up with everything in its proper place in an orderly home.

But none of these compare with the JOY I experience when I truly put God first in all I do. This happens one thought, attitude and behavior at a time.

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
clutter

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

Is Your Seat Secure?

Lisa Preuett

Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

My running plan called for strength training on this day. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handles in front of me. This familiar weight machine was designed to tone my upper body. I’d used this machine dozens of times, but for the first time I noticed a small warning label at eye level: Verify seat is secure before exercising to prevent injury.

After thinking about this, it made perfect sense to me. This tiny adjustable seat held my entire body weight. If it wasn’t adequately set in place, it would most certainly cause an injury when I reached up to pull down the weights above me. It wouldn’t matter how efficiently I lifted the weights. It wouldn’t matter how heavy the weights were. If the seat were loose or crooked, I’d be putting myself at risk for injury.

Thousands of people sustain injuries every year due to using weight machines improperly, sending them to the emergency room. How many of these could have been prevented? I wonder how many people didn’t see the warning label? Or how many people saw the label but ignored it? Perhaps some actually thought their seat was secure, but it really wasn’t.

Before we set out to do something in the name of Jesus, are we secure in Him? Do we really understand where our power comes from? Are we aware of the supernatural power that reigns in us if only we will yield to Him? He has promised us an inheritance. We are His beneficiaries! But do we really live like that?

If we aren’t secure in our position–our seat in the heavenly realms–then we will fall short every time. Instead of dying to self and walking by faith, we dart out mindlessly in our human strength. It may keep us going temporarily. But then at some point we crash and burn. We get defeated. We feel stressed out. We feel inadequate about the very things God has called us to.

We might even sustain an injury if we keep going without humbly recognizing this. Not a physical injury. But an emotional or spiritual one. Some of those injuries run deep to the core of our heart. Years of leaning on “self-sufficiency” finally run its course and a wave of depression surges. Months of bitterness and resentment pour out like lava from a volcano, burning those within reach. Or maybe a life characterized by pride brings one to utter isolation, staring at a wall of bricks built up over time.

I struggle with pride and selfishness daily. Some days I humbly start out with my eyes fixed on Jesus, leading me to a day of joy and peace. Other days I get it wrong. Terribly wrong. I dart out the door with my “to-do” list with no thought about what God’s purpose is for me that day. And then I find myself drained. I find myself frustrated. I find myself worried.

And when I’m still enough to listen, God gently reminds me, You’re my child. I love you. Trust me to guide you through this day. Rest secure in my presence.

READY? Are you getting ready to dash out the door today? Are you starting the daunting task of crossing things off your list? Before you do so, ask yourself this question: Is your seat secure? Have you lined up your thoughts and your plans with what God says? Are you wobbling in your human strength instead of firmly walking by faith? Before you sustain an injury dear friend, secure your seat!

GET SET. Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I will never be shaken.

GO!  Jesus, I’m often guilty of getting too wrapped up in my own world. Worries cloud my mind. Burdens weigh heavily on my heart. My thoughts get pulled in the wrong direction and insecurity sets in. Help me to remember what your word says. Remind me that as your child, I’m completely secure in you. Amen

HCI-Fitness-RX-950-Club-Series-Rowing-Machine-6

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett