Finding the Good in the Mess of Life

By,   April Acker

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine,

but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22

A few years ago I was hauling 3-4 bags of trash to the dumpster when one of them leaked nasty trash juice on my brand new tennis shoes, ones that weren’t cheap and that my husband had bought for me as a half-surprise. Everything in my heart screamed “UGHHH.”

While in the exact same moment a wonderful spring breeze embraced me and everything in my heart leapt for joy at the warmth of the spring sun and passing winter. Nothing about my circumstances had changed—I was still hauling heavy, leaking bags of trash to the dumpster. It was in these moments the Lord gave me a practical lesson about how my thoughts shape my attitude, day, and basically everything to do with my life.

It starts in the brain.

Where you let your mind rest is going to shape how you see the world. What is the default setting of your brain as you go about your day? We are to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Pet. 1:13) and “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), but how do I do that? In the quietness of my own mind during the day, thoughts float around. It’s my job to see that these thoughts are “building my house” (Proverbs 14:1) and not tearing it down.

I can sit and throw a pity party in my head about any number of things, and my stinky things are not going to be the same as your stinky things, or I can focus on what is good and pure. If you are not sure where your mind is floating, stop and do a check! Set an alarm and every few hours review what you thought about. Were you thankful? Did you complain on the inside about a variety of things that didn’t/don’t meet your expectations? Are you thinking on things that are true/honest/just/pure (Phil. 4:8)?

You have 30 seconds to change that thought in your brain before it sinks into your heart and forms your core belief system. Take that nasty thought, throw it in the trash and get out a new one. It’s YOUR brain and you can control what is allowed to float around in it!

Daily Tip: Get some sticky notes and jot down some verses around your house. This is so helpful to me because just seeing them helps me to remember how I am supposed to be thinking. And change them up so they do not become invisible to you after a few days!