photo by Bruce McKay Yellow Snow
I’m going through my day and suddenly an uninvited thought slips into my mind.
You know what I’m talking about–it happens to you too.
At church.
In a meeting.
While you’re trying to type a blog post.
Suddenly something you never want to think is right there in the middle of your little head.
And the more you try not to think about it, the more you do.
Yes, ma’am.
It could be a word you don’t usually say, a doubt that has never popped up in before, an unkind observation.
You think, “How could I think this? What is the matter with me?” You wonder if you’re a fraud. What would everyone think if they knew? And God does know, what is He thinking? You whisper a quick prayer for forgiveness and carry on with your day…only to have it happen again.
Here’s the good news: you’re human. This happens to all of us. And as long as we’re on this side of eternity it’s going to continue.
Yes, we can choose our response. A silly {but wise} old saying goes like this…
You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head but you don’t have to let it build a nest in your hair!
You are going to get dive bombed by thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. When that happens, what do you do?
Well, I’ll tell you my little trick. I talk to that loony bird.
As believers, that bird is our flesh. When you gave your life to Jesus, this became true of you…
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. {Gal. 2:20}
But the old you is still circling and looking for a place to land.
That leads to the unwelcome thoughts {in other words, temptation–which even Jesus faced}. When this happens, I have started saying this to that bird: “Flesh, you’re dead and no one is listening to you.” Then I say to Jesus something like, “I’m so glad we got rid of that bird. It’s crazy.” Then I carry on with my day.
Those thoughts aren’t you {at least not the real you}. So you don’t need to beat yourself up for them or spend time trying to figure out what in the world is the matter with you and how could you be such a bad person and Sunday School Susie certainly wouldn’t think that and now the day is ruined because you can’t believe what you just thought.
Sometimes I even laugh a little when I say those words because, really, my flesh can be quite creative. And ridiculous. And out of its little bird brain.
Yours too?
Let’s decide together that we won’t be bullied by that bird anymore. Instead we can shoo it away and get on with our day–with all God has for us. He’s made us who we need to be and given us all we need to complete His purposes for our lives right now and always.
Now there’s a welcome thought.
