Wandering and wondering - A Penny for My Thoughts

I remember a line from John Owen (a great Puritan/English theologian who lived in the 1600's) about wandering thoughts. His writing is a bit hard to get through sometimes, but I remember something like this: What do you think about when you are not thinking about anything in particular?

So that is what I have been thinking about these past few days. Into what areas does my mind go when I have not channeled it a certain way? What is the "default setting" of my brain?

OK. The results are not good.

I am embarrassed to say that only about one-fifth (20%) of the wandering directions my mind takes are God-honoring, or are spiritually-minded, as John Owen would say.

This is a truly terrible! This blog is sort of my journal, and a person shouldn't lie in their journal! (Like lying about your weight when you go to the weight doctor?) So I have to just admit it.

As I tried to track it -- and it is not easy -- I found that in only about one-fifth (20%) of the time my mind drifts - seeks its own direction - does it pursue the directions that are pleasing to God. Like hymns of praise to Him, prayers, kind, loving thoughts, grateful expressions, positive, healthy mental excursions that please God, and are, in truth, good for us emotionally. Only 20%!

And the other 80% is far from that. About one-half at that involves fantasies, delusions of grandeur, self-centered, self-indulgent thoughts. And the other half is made up of flights into remembering past grievances, past sins of my own, rehearsed defenses against words of others, etc.

In summary, the 80% is completely and totally made up of the thing God hates most -- pride.

So when my mind wanders, about 20% of the time it might find its way into
areas that please God, but at least 80% of the time it goes into areas that are completely contrary to God's will and do not give Him pleasure! (And are not conducive for my own mental health either!)

Owen said that where our mind goes (when it is in our default mode) is the measure of our holiness -- our spiritual-mindedness. Well, my measure is pitifully low at this point!

God wants me to address this. He wants me to bring my idle thoughts into alignment with His Word.

...Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things....Philippians 4:8

Then I look at the verse just before. It says And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

That's what I need. God's peace to guard my mind....even in default mode...for His honor and glory.

I am praying that (1) I will be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when He reveals to me that my thoughts are going on the wrong paths -- that I will be sensitive to catch them right away, grab those thoughts, take control of them, and throw them away, or give them to Him and ask Him to blot them out and

(2) He will help me "guard my mind" by re-setting my default patterns. And I guess that the way to re-set my default is to think of things that are good and pure and God-honoring -- just like Philippians 4:8 says.....keep thinking about those things...and again, as always, the answer is right in His Word.

All I ever need for rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness is in Scripture, which is God-breathed and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16).

So this morning I am memorizing some psalms --

O give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!
I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against
you!
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart!

P.S. I wrote this a week or so ago, and, through God's grace, I can see the 20% increasing -- yeah!


Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.