Stray Thoughts
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.” Psalms 42:5 NKJV.
Sometimes we have a troubled heart and we are uncertain of the cause. We cannot say from moment to moment why we think the things we do. The source of some thoughts are obvious as we interact with people and places. We are thinking about the current conversation or about the task at hand. But in the quiet moments of the day when we are alone, why certain thoughts from the past come to mind remains a mystery to us. Recent research suggests that we have less control over our conscious thoughts than previously assumed, with many thoughts entering our minds through subconscious processes influenced involuntarily, often making it difficult to suppress them. Sometimes a happy time pops into our mind, but more often than not, we are unexpectedly thinking about a painful time from the past.
A failure, a rejection, an unkind word, or a missed opportunity rushes into our mind and it can be distracting or downright debilitating if we don't know what to do. Here the psalmist gives us a good question to ask ourselves in these unexpected painful moments and even better counsel on what to do in these moments. Asking ourselves "Why are you downcast. oh my soul. Why are you disquieted within me?" is useful because there are times when an unresolved root of pain from the past needs to be processed properly. The Lord may be prompting us to seek comfort and healing. But many times we simply don't know why we are (re)thinking a past issue because we have dealt with it extensively.
The older I get, the more frequently these already processed negative thoughts come to mind and they're more a hassle than a help. While it is important to ask ourselves questions, it is far more important to speak to ourselves the truth from God's word. The Psalmist encourages us to speak to ourselves, "Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance." We can let an unwanted memory from a painful past, prompt us to enjoy a scriptural memory of our even more glorious future. It is wise to have a cache of confirmation and a accumulation of affirmation to displace any condemnation from the past. "My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits." (Psalms 71:15)
Sometimes we have a troubled heart and we are uncertain of the cause. We cannot say from moment to moment why we think the things we do. The source of some thoughts are obvious as we interact with people and places. We are thinking about the current conversation or about the task at hand. But in the quiet moments of the day when we are alone, why certain thoughts from the past come to mind remains a mystery to us. Recent research suggests that we have less control over our conscious thoughts than previously assumed, with many thoughts entering our minds through subconscious processes influenced involuntarily, often making it difficult to suppress them. Sometimes a happy time pops into our mind, but more often than not, we are unexpectedly thinking about a painful time from the past.
A failure, a rejection, an unkind word, or a missed opportunity rushes into our mind and it can be distracting or downright debilitating if we don't know what to do. Here the psalmist gives us a good question to ask ourselves in these unexpected painful moments and even better counsel on what to do in these moments. Asking ourselves "Why are you downcast. oh my soul. Why are you disquieted within me?" is useful because there are times when an unresolved root of pain from the past needs to be processed properly. The Lord may be prompting us to seek comfort and healing. But many times we simply don't know why we are (re)thinking a past issue because we have dealt with it extensively.
The older I get, the more frequently these already processed negative thoughts come to mind and they're more a hassle than a help. While it is important to ask ourselves questions, it is far more important to speak to ourselves the truth from God's word. The Psalmist encourages us to speak to ourselves, "Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance." We can let an unwanted memory from a painful past, prompt us to enjoy a scriptural memory of our even more glorious future. It is wise to have a cache of confirmation and a accumulation of affirmation to displace any condemnation from the past. "My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits." (Psalms 71:15)