Occasionally, something happens that makes me very upset. I can get myself tied in a knot by rehearsing it and going over and over it in my mind. Such angry and bitter thinking is wrong. I have verses memorized that I choose to think about to replace my wrong thinking. Every time my mind goes to the wrong place, I choose to meditate on the designated verses. I also pray a lot for the people I am angry at or the situation that has me upset, and I pray and ask for peace, joy, self-control, and wisdom. It usually doesn’t take long before I am cheerful and happy despite the event I don’t like. Sometimes, the event simply causes me to fret and worry. Many “what if” thoughts pop into my mind that cause stress. Again, I choose to think about certain key verses and pray about the situation. At first the wrong thoughts keep popping into my head, but after awhile after kicking them out repeatedly the thoughts will come less and less often until I have peace.
I have counseled many people who don’t conquer their wrong thinking, and it is only a matter of time before they do or say something stupid that causes the situation to worsen. I visited with a Dad who hadn’t talked with a son for several years. As we discussed it, I saw that it started with a minor conflict that worsened because of undisciplined thinking. When we rehearse an event in our mind, it gets more serious than it is and creates a lot of wrong emotions in us.
The devil is a master at getting into those situations, and by talking to us and hearing him in our thoughts, he accelerates our wrong thinking. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”