ON HAVING A SCRAMBLED MIND

I’m reading Jan Karon’s book, Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, and in this book is a quote that expresses how I feel sometimes: His mind was Arctic tundra ---- hither a scrap of stunted moss, yon a dwarf tree..

Have you ever felt that way?  Sort of discombobulated? Feeling as if your mind is stunted and dwarfed?   There are times when right-thinking seems unattainable --- my mind is flying apart and of no use to any one!  What to do? GO TO THE GUIDE BOOK!

Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)
⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

AHA! That’s pretty clear isn’t it!  We can take steps to bring clarity of thinking to our minds.  In police work a “disturbing the peace” call is known as a “Signal-22”. (I learned this on TV!)  It is a code that someone is disturbing the general welfare of the community.  In our personal lives I think we can also have “Signal-22” calls…when things “get under our skin” and we lose the ability to think clearly and with peace and understanding.  So, when we have those “signal-22” moments, let’s just remember the formula that Paul gives us in Philippians 4: 6-8.  The formula is P + P + P = P.

First step in the formula :

P – Verse 4 = PRAISE

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Can’t think clearly?  Stay cool and relaxed by praising the Lord.  Sing a hymn; read Scripture out loud.  I read a sermon in which the preacher said Praise is a matter of finding God’s hand print on everything!  Praise means rejoicing in the good, the bad, and the ugly!  Praise enables us to remember that no matter how discombobulated (my favorite word of the day!) we may be feeling we know that God is in control and has a wonderful plan for us!

Sing out the traditional “Doxology” by Thomas Ken, PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Next step in the formula:

P – Verses 5,6a = POISE

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything… (NIV)

Poise (composure, balance) comes from a mind that is not anxious…not divided…not confused, and that kind of thinking comes from knowing that the Lord Jesus is near…always close by.  Poise and self-control and self confidence come from the understanding that we know Jesus is in control of our life’s events…nothing happens to us that He doesn’t first approve. Living like that clears our thinking!  It is a relaxed way of facing our abundant life – this gift from Jesus!

Remember:  "Said the Robin to the sparrow,
                      I should really like to know,
                     Why these anxious human beings rush about and hurry so.
                      Said the sparrow to the Robin, Friend, I think that it must be,
                      That they have no Heavenly Father, such as cares for you and me."

Next step in the formula:

P – Verse 6b = PRAYER

but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV)
For me, the prayer that totally connects me to God…to His decisions, His plan… is to pray like Jesus did in Gethsemane:  NOT MY WILL, BUT THY WILL BE DONE!

All the fretting, the burdensome worry is gone.  I am able to rest in His will!

THE ANSWER TO THE FORMULA is PRAISE + POISE + PRAYER = PEACE
Verse 7 - Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Peace that doesn’t makes sense! That’s right. This Peace that results from Praise + Poise + Prayer isn’t like anything this world has to offer.  This Peace that flows from our Lord God erases our discombobulated minds; guards our hearts, our minds, our lives…and nothing can take it away from us!

No more tundra…dwarfed and stunted living!  The Philippian P’s Formula makes for gigantic and powerful living.

Joyfully,

Yvonne