Just for Today – Clearing the Mental Clutter

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5

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I held my breath as I made my way through the cloud of smoke that lingered outside the auditorium.  As I entered the room, I immediately felt out of place and overdressed.  I scanned the crowd for my friend as I took my seat.  Today was a big day for her.  Today she would share her testimony.

Her story was one of pain and heartache, but it was also one of redemption.  God had brought her out of addiction to a place of peace, hope, and new beginnings.  That day was a celebration of being five years clean.

Her story brought me to tears, but just as powerful as her story was what took place at the end of the meeting.  Hand in hand, we all joined together and read the words to Just for Today.¹  This prayer has been modified for different anon groups, but the general prayer reads as follows:

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Just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle all my problems at once.  I can do something for 12 hours that would appall me if I felt that I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today I will be happy.  This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires.  I will take my “luck” as it comes, and fit myself to it.

Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind.  I will study.  I will learn something useful.  I will not be a mental loafer.  I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways:  I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count.  I will do at least two things I don’t want to do – just for exercise.  I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

Just for today I will be agreeable.  I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, keep my voice low, be courteous, criticize not one bit.  I won’t find fault with anything, nor try to improve or regulate anybody but myself.

Just for today I will have a program.  I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it.  I will save myself from two pests:  hurry and indecision.

Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself, and relax.  During this half hour, sometime, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.

Just for today I will be unafraid.  Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

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What might happen if all of us took these words to heart, focusing on one day at a time, strengthening our mind, exercising our soul, and letting go of control of everything outside of our own behavior?  What if, instead of worrying about the future, we spent a half hour in prayer, aligning our perspective with God’s and trusting that the pieces would come together?

Most of us wait for a monumental event to occur before we take action or change our thinking, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  When we take time to prayerfully reflect, we develop a renewed mindset that allows us to incorporate our experiences into a larger story, focus on what we can control, and persevere through challenges because we are actively seeking God’s will and we trust in His plan.

The List

When I made my “blogging debut,” my mind was overwhelmed with things to do.  Creating a website, figuring out Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and setting up email marketing and social media platforms were all new territory for me.  I had a million unanswered questions that I believed were holding me back from reaching people.  I called a friend for Godly advice and she offered to come over. Before she arrived, I typed up the questions that had been causing me anxiety.  There were twenty of them.

When I met with my friend, I showed her my list.  We talked for two hours, but she didn’t answer a single question.  What she showed me was that the root of my anxiety wasn’t not having the answers – it was the list itself. 

The list was the mental clutter that was keeping me from focusing my thoughts.  The list, not the lack of answers, was limiting my progress and sending me into a downward spiral of decision paralysis.  What God showed me through that conversation was that I needed to let go of having all the answers right now and trust that, as I continued to pray for wisdom and direction, He would reveal them at the right time.

Sarah Young, author of the best selling devotional Jesus Calling, described it well when she wrote this:

“You see huge mountains looming and you start wondering how you’re going to scale those heights. Meanwhile, because you’re not looking where you’re going, you stumble on the easy path where I am leading you now…There may be an easier way up the mountains than what is visible from this distance.  If I do lead you up the cliffs, I will equip you thoroughly for the strenuous climb…Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you.”²

God’s Plan

Unlike a meal plan or an exercise plan, I’ve discovered God’s plan is not a prescribed set of steps to follow.  It’s not a linear process; there are divine delays and detours by design.  In periods of waiting and along those detours God develops our character.  In not having all the answers and taking it one day at a time, God calls us to trust Him in the unknown.  We don’t have to know the final outcome to be obedient with what He’s given us today.

One of my favorite songs, Oceans by Hillsong, describes what it means to walk by faith and trust God.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Over the years, God has repeatedly showed me that the areas where I experience the most anxiety are those I have not fully surrendered to Him.  For me, anxiety is a sign I’ve shifted my gaze off God and I need to bring it back on target.

If I did have all the answers right now, I’d be more overwhelmed trying to figure out how to accomplish it all.  To clear my mental clutter, I’ve had to surrender the things I can’t control to Him and make the most of my waiting period, using the time to develop my gifts, focus on my family, and learn the lost art of patience.

How might God be using the delays and detours in your life to grow you?  To encourage you to rely more on Him?  To trust in His timing or let go of your plan for His?

Taking Our Thoughts Captive

My guess is that you have a list too.  Perhaps it’s not a tangible list, but it’s the thoughts and questions that you keep mulling over, the ones that play on repeat in your head.  It’s the beliefs and attitudes that steal your focus, rob your peace, and stand in the way of you appreciating the life taking place right in front of you.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5

Taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ is about more than thinking about good things.  It’s about focusing on the character of Jesus Himself – His love, goodness, and graciousness, to name a few.  It’s about recognizing we may have good, noble, praiseworthy thoughts, but if we’re anxious and overwhelmed, they’re not all from God. 

For me, taking my thoughts captive goes beyond the what to the who, when and how much. 

Who – When we face challenges, do we blame others or focus on what we can change?  To declutter our mind, we must stop focusing on circumstances out of our control (e.g. the behaviors of others) and instead focus on ourselves.  We can’t control what others say and do, but we can control how we react and respond.  Much of our stress stems from the way we react and can be avoided by thinking it through first.

When we face challenges, do we run to others or go to God first?  Grumbling and complaining to our best friend might feel good momentarily, but usually does nothing to fix the problem.  When we focus instead on God, tell Him how we feel, and seek His guidance for how to move forward, He positively directs our steps.

When – Do you find yourself thinking about your grocery list at church or what you’re going to make for dinner while you’re playing with your child?  Perhaps that’s just me, but if your mind tends to wander throughout the day, taking your thoughts captive might mean recognizing distracting or disabling thoughts and reeling them back in so you can fully experience the present moment.  This takes time and training, but just like we can condition our body to accomplish things we never thought possible (e.g. running a race), we can condition our minds to stay fixed on the present and on thoughts that are true, pure, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

How Much – Any other over thinkers out there?  Obsessing and over analyzing are unproductive uses of our time and exhaust our mental (and sometimes physical) energy.  Attempting to figure it all out and have the answers before we need to is a way of grasping for control.  Instead of trying harder, we need to trust more, recognizing that sometimes no response means we just need to wait.  Trust Him and allow your period of waiting to become God’s shaping tool.

Just for Today

After my friend shared her testimony at the Narcotics Anonymous meeting, they called members up one at a time to recognize them.  The last man to come forward received a coin to celebrate 24 hours clean.

One day at a time, we can do our best with what God has called us to do.  One day at a time, we can train our minds to live in the moment instead of worrying about what’s ahead.  One day at a time, we can trust that God will empower us to take control of our thoughts and experience the peace of His presence.

Just for today, we can fix our minds on Him (Isaiah 26:3).  We can tackle tomorrow when tomorrow comes.

Call To Action:  Download 12 Tips to Declutter Your Mind and choose one strategy to focus on this week.  Share it in the comments or in our private Facebook group.  How might eliminating the mental clutter create space for you to focus on what matters most?  (Scroll down for my “Let Go & Trust God” playlist or subscribe here to gain access to all the resources in my Freebies Library.)

Related Posts:

• Winning the War Against Anxiety
• How to Achieve Emotional Freedom
• I’m Gonna Lose It – 4 Steps to Keeping Your Cool While Building Your Character
• Replacing Negative Thoughts with Power Thoughts
• When God Doesn’t Fix It – How to Accept a “No” or a “Not Yet”

References:

1. Al-Anon Family Groups.  Just for Today.  Accessed February 28, 2019 at https://al-anon.org/pdf/M10.pdf.
2. Young Sarah. (2004).  Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.  Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
3. Chernoff, Marc. (2015, July 12).  25 Lessons When You’re Ready for a Simpler Life.  com.  Accessed September 14, 2018 at http://www.marcandangel.com/2015/07/12/25-lessons-when-youre-ready-for-a-simpler-life/
4. Chernoff, Marc. (2018, January 21).  10 Quotes That Will Change the Way You See and Treat People Today.  com.  Accessed September 14, 2018 at http://www.marcandangel.com/2018/01/21/10-quotes-that-will-change-the-way-you-see-and-treat-people-today/