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They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do (Psalm 1:2-3, NLT).
Science has proven that meditation can change your life dramatically.
Most of what we know about the function of the brain has been discovered in the past 30 years. The invention of MRI technology allowed the mapping of the brain and its function.
One fact has become apparent – repetition of a thought will lay a pathway in our brains that gets stronger the more we repeat the thought. The brain can also overwrite negative pathways if we take the negative and turn it into a positive.
The New Testament has a lot to say about this …
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV).
Negative pathways are paved in two ways – through trauma and negative thinking.
Often trauma causes a pattern of negative thoughts ingraining highways of negativity in our brains. The ugliness of anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness can pave side streets to dominate everything in our brains and subsequently our thoughts.
Literally, people who were once good in our thoughts, and even friends, become the imagined source of evil in our lives. We blame them for our misfortune.
We come to the place in our lives where we can’t receive blessings without questioning motives, and our brains become a spoken Google Map of cursing against all our past destinations.
No wonder Paul writes that every Christian should …
Not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2, NASB1995).
James agrees …
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds (James 1:2, ESV).
Interesting that Peter writes …
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
The word “cover” in the Greek means, in a sense, to overwrite the sins, insults, and assaults that we’ve done or that others have done to us. We are to pave over these thoughts with love.
Amazing, what the Bible has taught for thousands of years, is just being discovered by science today. When we meditate on the goodness of God, our minds can re-write the negative into positive!!!!!!
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8, NLT).
Do you want to live a joy-filled life? Are you aware of your negative thoughts? Are you covering them with praise?
From your highway of thoughts today – pluck a thought.
Is it negative or positive? If you speak or act on it, will there be an ensuing traffic jam in your relationships? Will it cause a pile-up of negative thinking or discouragement?
If so, say, “God, I praise you at this moment. You are Lord. You are good!”
Let’s stay out of traffic jams over the holidays with family and friends by constantly praising God!