Who's in control?

About a year ago, I wrote a blog on “Is anyone stealing your peace?” In it I wrote about my realization that “true peace is having a calmness or a quiet mind, regardless of any change, uncertainty, or chaos surrounding me.” I also included a quote from my husband about peace, which is, “I think that living a life of peace requires rigorous discipline and a conscious effort.”  I am now realizing the truth of what he said.

Last week when I was having a difficulty in calming my mind and I came across this reel by Mr. Daryl Black, Author and Pastor, on “You’re not crazy” and it resonated with me (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRNCjSbDsHo/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==)

I found his remarks insightful, especially when he says that “You don’t win the battle in your head by trying to control every thought. You win it by changing the source of your thoughts…. You can’t silence your mind by force; you have to feed it something different.” 

He goes on to say, “Peace doesn’t come from control, it comes from focus.” I appreciate when he brings up the scripture in Philippians 4:8, which talks about thinking on positive things (“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, …..—meditate on these things.”)

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He made a good point when he talks about this scripture “not just being a verse to live your life by, but a strategy. Because whatever you focus on the longest, becomes the strongest in your life.”

He then says “So when anxiety starts talking…Answer it. When fear shows up…Don’t entertain it. Replace it. When your mind says you’re not enough…Remind yourself, ‘I’m not supposed to be because God is.’ “

As I think this through, I am in complete agreement with his perspective in “that peace is not passive, it’s a discipline, it’s training your thoughts to stay in truth, even when your feelings want to run wild. The battle ends when you start thinking, right.”

Finally, his closing comment, which is that we need to “learn to change the source.”  As I consider this further, I think what he is saying is that I need to change my internal mindset and reactions to my thoughts. The best example I can think of right now is last week when I became frustrated with a slow coworker. However, instead of becoming frustrated at her, I could have realized that my frustration comes from my own internal belief that “everything must be done immediately.” For those of you that know me well, this is an internal message that I’m all too familiar with. By changing that source (my own mindset), I can choose to respond calmly, focus on what I can control, and manage my own project without the emotional toll.” 

It’s amazing how many times a day I want other people to change, or other people to say this or that or don’t do this or that. However, in the future, this is something that I could remind myself that it is my own perspective that needs to change.

In closing, I want to share a quote that I shared in a previous blog, which is “Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot control. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about the things that He can change.”