Set your mind

Setting your mind is like setting a thermostat; it determines the climate you live in. So, let’s set our minds on God’s Word. We could try to stop thinking wrong thoughts, but that immediately brings to mind the thoughts we’re supposed to stop thinking! Instead, we should fill our minds with God’s Word, so wrong thoughts don’t have space to enter. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would remind them of what He had taught them (see John 14:26). So when we file the Scriptures in our memory, God’s Spirit will access those files whenever we need them. Imagine an amateur pilot flying through their first storm. The plane is in fog, so the pilot can’t see any landmarks to use for navigation. But then a voice comes from the control tower saying, ‘Just listen to me. I’ll guide you safely home.’ Jesus said, ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 NIV). Paul wrote: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV). Here are a couple of examples: 1) When we hear unsettling news reports, let’s try to remember that our true security is found in God. 2) When someone criticises us, let’s take what’s valid and let nobody except God determine our worth. By setting our minds on God’s Word, we can have peace in any situation.