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“You can learn to be responsible for your mind.”

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.22). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Right before this thought Norman said, “Some people say they feel they’re responsible to their mind. The problem with that is we’ve given control to whatever is raging. When we give our mind control, we think we have to go along with whatever upset, worry, anxiety, or depressive thought might be occurring. Being responsible to it means going along with whatever’s occurring.”

He then says, “You can learn to be responsible for your mind. And that’s essentially what Scripture instructs us to do. We can learn to direct our mind to reflect God’s will. And because experiencing emotions based on thinking this way is a biochemical event, following scriptural principles creates a different biochemical solution, the kind that God desires for us. Clearly, it’s a better way to live.

Earlier Norman said, “In 2 Timothy, Paul writes, ‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control’ (1:7 AMP, emphasis added).

“Scriptural teaching about our thoughts is not just informative; it’s encouraging—and potentially life-changing. Memorizing and dwelling upon this Scripture can help bring order to your thought life and, as a result, improve your relationships, health, and happiness.

“Imagine the power of repeating the encouraging passage from 2 Timothy 1:7 aloud. This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy too. And the result? A person who is calm, disciplined, and self-controlled, with a well-balanced mind, can create more of this positive, self-fulfilling prophecy.”

He later says, “Your thoughts—and their biochemical reactions—shape your emotional and physical health. I repeat this for a reason—so you’ll be conscious of this as you go about your daily life. It’s a new thought that can impact your life in a new way.

“New thoughts or old memories—both can direct your life. It’s possible to change and control them..”

So, would you take some time and dwell on 2 Timothy 1:7 so it can help bring order to your thought life and, as a result, improve your relationships, health, and happiness?  Would you?

Yes, yes?
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