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If that's true I have serious issues because I don't have a clue how to control them
Focus your mind on that which you want, and keep it constantly focused. We allow too many distractions into our lives. So write down what you want to have within your mind and when distracting and stray thoughts come, replace them immediately by returning your focus to what you want as spelled out by YOU. If your primary occupation in your leisure hours is serious Bible study, your thoughts will not be wandering off into other realms. And you will never exhaust the Word of God.
Yes, cuja
> where our attention belongs, with God.Yes, cuja
"Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
It looks like you are saying that she got the better of you. Were you speaking what is worthwhile and wholesome, and humbly? When I have talked in ways that were my own ego, I have had run-ins with people rebuking and scolding me. And then it got the better of me, so I secretly got nasty and imagining conversations of fighting those people with my words, putting them down; and, "of course", I always win in my imagination's word fights.
But then I might think of how "God resists the proud" (in James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). I understand . . . in my case . . . that God may arrange for me to get batted by people, when I am not doing His will, not speaking what He pleases, not being humble about it.
"'I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.'" (1 Samuel 7:14)
So, God can use worldly people to deal with me while I am acting in ego. Then my angry and dominating (not caring) reacting can give my self away. Then I do well to pray and "hold out" for God to correct me and restore me into His peace and even sweet and sensitive sharing with Him, submitting to Him for what He really would have me doing. And I find that He corrects me to care about people who are a problem for me . . . first . . . in prayer.
But, if you spoke what is worthwhile . . . "it" can indeed be manure for feeding what God is growing
Were you talking about what is worth attention? Test this
You are right. It is impossible to have complete control over your mind. We can try to focus on Jesus but distractions will come and we will fall for them. While doing our best to keep our focus on Jesus we fill fail. That is why we need to give control of our mind to Jesus since he will not fail. He will keep our mind on him for us. We need to have faith that he is willing and able to cleanse our minds to the point that evil thoughts and distractions will not enter our mind. This is a lot easier said than done since we tend to dislike surrendering and putting complete trust in Jesus. We tend to like to "supervise" the work of sanctification to make sure it is going alright. But we do not know what alright is. The first step is the hardest, after Jesus has shown that hope in him is secure we will remember and be able to trust him more fully. That is why sanctification of our minds take so long, we have a hard time giving up control. Trust in Jesus and wait patiently on him, and he will cleanse our minds.
Forcing yourself seems like work. If you try to force yourself you will get to stressed. But yea we can definitely try to think on Jesus, just remember that he is the one supposed to be in control and don't get down if you slip up and think something bad. If you have faith that God is leading you he will take you at the pace that is right for you. There is no guilt or condemnation when we are in Christ. But Job8 has a great point about the Bible study. When I find that my mind isn't being kept bust by my work, I tend to think about God as if I was delivering a sermon (though no one really gets to hear them). During which time my mind wonders but it tends to stay on God. I came up with a lot of theories about God from scientific viewpoints. Try picking a hobby that seems to focus on God, I study. if in depth pursuits of knowledge isn't your thing, maybe writing Christian songs or reflecting on the beauty of God's creation and imagining how much more beautiful it must have been before the fall (or after the redemption of this world). Just remember who is in charge.
I think that could be very perceptive of you, to think of this.
How would she know who made the salad? Possibly, instead of letting that shut you down, you can ask why she thinks that, and listen.
I think it was good to consider the possibility that it wasn't the waitress's fault. And is the lady one who tends to be critical and negative? Her character can have her seeing things negatively. So, we too can need to watch ourselves, that we do not automatically assume bad possibilities.
