It’s mile nine in a half marathon, when your body begins to get tired, and your mind begins to wander.
Are you able to push past the pain and keep going?
Will you make it to the finish line?
Here, when doubt and exhaustion rise, our mind makes or breaks us.
We can fall into the trap of disbelief and questions, or we can step above and tell ourselves that we can make it, that we can keep going, that this is what we have trained for and that each step brings us closer to the race’s completion.
As we think, things go.
This is true in our life, as well.
Family struggles, job stress, and our own self-doubts can try to get us down.
We can be tempted to give in to despair when we look at the state of the world.
But we are not of this world, and we have a God who gives shape to our way of thinking.
Our minds are powerful.
How we view things shapes our outlook.
If we think in fear, fear is what fills us.
If we think in trust, we live our days with peace.
And when we stand in the strength of our good God, his thoughts start to settle in ours and we are reshaped to remember what he says about us, our identity as his child, and the good plans he has in store for our lives.
The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16
God wants us to fix our thoughts on what is good, what is healthy, what will bring goodness to others and ourselves, and glory to him.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
If our body is a ship, our mind is the rudder that moves the ship forward.
In a world where worry can often take the front seat to our thoughts, we are reminded to counter the worry with what God says is true.
Replace the lie with truth and memorize a Bible verse that goes with it.
Some examples:
When you are fearful, speak God’s truth. (2 Timothy 1:7)
When you doubt your abilities, remind yourself who you are in Christ. (Galatians 2:20)
When you want to get angry and fixate on the anger, release it to God. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)
When you can’t see a way out of your situation, place your trust in the Lord. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
When we shift our mindset to one that knows God’s Word and can repeat it to ourselves, so it takes shape and stays in our minds and hearts, transformation happens.
The more we meditate on what is life giving, the more our minds can absorb what is good and start automatically reframing our thoughts to what gives us hope and peace.
Build your thought life in the strength of Jesus, His mind was fixed on the glory set before him and understood his dear position as God’s beloved son.
We are also heirs in Christ (VERSE) and God’s child.
We can live like it.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
We, too, can endure the struggle of our thought life and come out victorious when we set our minds on Scripture that sets the tone for truth and strength.
God is with us.
God is for us.
And he has plans and purposes that begin when we set our minds and hearts on who he is and who we believe him to be.
It’s our mile nine; what will we tell ourselves to push through and endure?
Prayer and Reflection:
- When you face mental or emotional exhaustion, how can you remind yourself of your identity in Christ? Consider writing down affirmations based on Scripture that reinforce who you are as God’s beloved child.
- What steps can you take to build a resilient mindset rooted in God’s truth?
Pray for wisdom and discipline to cultivate a thought life that aligns with God’s Word.
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