I have come to recognize over the last few years that my thoughts are hugely important. I learned through counseling with Stephanie Baker and God’s word that what we believe forms our way of thinking which then controls our feelings which then determines our behaviors. It has been really awesome to see how renewing my mind with God’s Word has changed my life. Somewhere in my mind I have this way of thinking that makes me want to be finished with growth. As if once I learn something and then put it into practice, I’m done, or I’ve arrived. God will grow me in some area of my life and then I guess I start to think, “Ok, thanks, I’m good now. I’ve got this.”
Time and time again I get to that place, and then a new struggle, temptation, or hardship comes up and my mind goes haywire. I get stuck in trying to think about how to handle it or what to do or how to fix it. My mind races and I just completely wear myself out. I feel like Paul did when he said, “I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.” I know the right thing to do is renew my mind, focus on God, not my circumstances, but it is a lot easier said than done. I don’t want to take away from the significance of spending time in God’s Word every day to renew the mind, but I do want to point out that there are more ways to do so. I have found that worship music is a great way to do this as well.
Kari Jobe is my all time favorite worship singer because her music focuses on God and His character and they include a plethora of scriptural truths. When I get to that place in which my thoughts are spinning out of control, I have a go-to playlist that I listen to that I entitled ‘Worship’. It helps me to renew my mind; to trade in Satan’s lies for God’s truth in moments that I can’t necessarily read or study the Bible. God has used this to help me ‘take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ’ and to ‘be still and know that He is God’.
I have included two songs today. Much like life often is, life can be heavy. While I believe firmly in the importance and healing power of grief and tears, I also think it is dangerous to dwell in that place. Sometimes it is good to just lighten up the mood with some upbeat worship music!
Application Challenge:
Create your own playlist called ‘Worship’ that consists of songs that help you take captive your thoughts and to be still and know that He is God.
Reminder: Listen with no distraction to the music videos.
Playlist Suggestions: Endless Alleluia by Cory Asbury; Out of Hiding/How He Loves/Good Good Father by Tye Tribett; Faithful by Sarah Reeves; Psalm 23, I Am Not Alone by People & Songs ft. Josh Sherman; Till I Found You by Phil Wickham; Lover of My Soul by Kari Jobe; The Cause of Christ by Kari Jobe; I Will Sing by Kari Jobe; You’re Gonna Be Ok by Brian & Jenn Johnson; Reckless Love by Cory Asbury; Beautifully Broken by Plumb; The Broken Beautiful by Ellie Holcomb; Find You Here by Ellie Holcomb