Don't Think About It

Do me a favor and don't think about the shoes you are wearing today.  Don't think about what color they are, whether brown, black, or red. Oh a shiny red pair would look stunning with a cute little black dress, wouldn't they?  Don't think about whether they are flats or heels. Don't think about whether they are tennis shoes, golf shoes, or sandals.  Don't think about whether they are cute and comfortable, or gorgeous and feet killers.  Whatever you do, do not think about your shoes. Okay?

Now after reading all of that, how many of you actually did not focus on your shoes?  How easy was it to follow my directions?  Well, had you thought about how great your hair turned out today, best hair day yet, and tuned out the part about the shoes then it would have been a lot easier to forget about ..... oh wait what was it I wasn't supposed to be thinking about?????

It can be so difficult to stop ourselves from dwelling on a situation because it is so important to us at the moment, that job interview, that unpaid bill, the test results from the doctor's office. You name it, we can tend to allow things to overtake our lives. How many times have we heard the cliche, "Let Go and Let God"? It can be really tough sometimes.  The harder we try not to focus on something the more it is in our minds unless we do one important thing, Replace It!

Paul told us in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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."  So when we are faced with uncertainty and tempted to worry about something, or to allow that thing to steal our joy, we need to take a look at Paul's list and see just where it fits.  If it's not on the list, then forget about it.

A few weeks ago I had to do something I really didn't want to do. I was nervous of the outcome and just wanted it done.  On the way there, I was tempted to pray more, asking God to allow everything fall into place without any difficulties, but that would still have  kept me focused on the situation.  Instead of focusing on me, I decided to spend some time talking to God about a friend's situation. I had the opportunity to go bold to the throne on behalf of my friend and her family, and doing so calmed my nerves and kept my mind off the situation.  I replaced my thoughts with better thoughts.  Praying for my friend and her family definitely fits into Paul's list.  Don't you think?

Is it easy to take our focus off our situation? No, but it is God who tells us to do it. Sometimes it is difficult to watch others succeed while we stay stuck in our circumstances.  Sometimes it is hard to watch while other people's dreams come true and our dreams remain unfulfilled.  I know, I have been there, and am there right now in some ways, but God's ways and His thoughts are much higher than our own.   (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The bigger picture revolves around trust. Do we trust God enough to know what is best for our lives? So often we think we know what is best for us, but in reality we have so little information that we can't know with our finite minds.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

So what  is the answer to the question on the color of your shoes today? You just have to love great hair days, don't you!

Be blessed, my friends, be simply blessed! :)