The Value of Healing Thoughts when Coping with Divorce
Yesterday I had to have an MRI on my neck. If you’ve ever had an MRI you know it is an eerie experience. Being a bit claustrophobic, I found it helpful to keep my eyes closed as they slid me into the narrow tube.
Thank goodness the technician gave me a call button and talked to me through the speakers in the tube between tests. Okay, maybe I’m a wimp but lying still in a magnetic tube with loud boom, boom, boom, and cling, cling, cling sounds for 15 minutes is an intense and uneasy experience. I sang repeated verses of “There’s Something about that Name” and “Victory in Jesus” in my head just to get me through.
As much as I wanted to push the call button and say, “Get me out of here!” I knew that getting through this undesirable circumstance would lead me to a better life. Eventually, I worked on shifting my thoughts of fear to thoughts of praise. It wasn’t easy, but I began to thank God for the MRI machine. When I did, I began to relax.
In between the hymns in my head it occurred to me that my response to the MRI was a microscopic reminder of my divorce experience.
In both cases, I was bombarded with circumstances that made me want to run away. The voices in my head were too many. Fears, regrets, and concerns about the future bombarded me during divorce much like the awful sounds of the MRI. Worse yet, I felt trapped by the circumstances of my divorce.
Thinking I was trapped was paralyzing. I was not trapped even thought the circumstances of my divorce were not what I wanted. Eventually I learned to quiet the fears and concerns in my head by consciously replacing them with thoughts of faith and restoration. Darkness Thoughts will keep you a victim, thoughts that move you into the light of God’s promises will propel you forward to a better future. I call these In-the-Light Thoughts.
Dwelling on the positive in itself will not change circumstances, but it will fortify you while you prayerfully work to improve your circumstances. Philippians 4:8 represents the ultimate in In-the-Light Thoughts about circumstances.* (See below.)
Challenging circumstances are a reality when it comes to divorce. What things can you do to improve your circumstances? What In-the-Light Thoughts do you need to dwell on to fortify you as you move through and beyond these undesirable circumstances? Concentrate on the scripture below and write me and tell me what happens. I want to hear your story.
Christian Thought for Today
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praise-worthy–think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
But it Gets Better… Verse 9 goes on to say if you do these things, the peace of God will be with you. Now that’s a huge promise not to be missed!
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