Thoughts Matter

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ‘Eat and drink,’ saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7)

I spend far too much time on social media these days. The negativity fills my soul–and yours–like a poison. ‘You are what you eat’ is about a lot more than food, though much of our commercial food industry is laced with poisons, too. Both place an inordinate amount of stress upon the body, mind, and spirit.

I was reminded of that by a friend.

Like me, this friend has a blog. In her case, it’s part of her ministry. It spoke about praying before one shares something on social media, and how what we read and/or share has the power to take us away from His Word…and to cause other brethren to stumble.

Actually, what I often share on social media causes me to stumble. It wastes time that could be better used elsewhere.

It’s not that I don’t feel the same concerns as others, whether we’re talking globally, nationally, or just in my day-to-day life. But, by allowing myself to fixate on the fear-mongering flooding social media, I bog myself down with things of this world…rather than things of the next life, if I am so fortunate to stand beside Jesus in heaven on those last days.

More, I throw myself into a never-ending spiral of berating myself–quite harshly, I might add–for things left undone, which leads to self-doubt and feeling overwhelmed, of life being out of control–my control–when it should always be given over to His control. I know He will never fail me, but I inevitably try to take back the reins again.

And fail…each and every time.

Usually in the form of an alphabet soup of OCD, PTSD, ADD, IBS, CFS, and Chronic Epstein-Barr kicking up, each one triggering the other, until I’m barely treading life’s waters. When will I ever learn?

It’s not in my hands to control. It’s in His. And, of course, all of the things we read about, the things that fill us with fear? Most of it never comes to pass anyway.

Thoughts, like words, matter. Thoughts, like words, have power. And they can either lift us up…or tear us down.

What are you telling yourself? Would you speak as harshly to another? And is the food for thought that you’re feeding yourself nourishing your soul? Or creating a toxic waste dump deep down inside? Does what you read, write, or share fill you with peace–His peace? Or are you feeling that ol’ devil, Anxiety, kicking up a notch?

These days, I’m falling into the latter category. How ’bout you?

May God bless you & keep you!