After a perfectly marvelous 50th anniversary celebration sponsored by our beloved children and their spouses, Larry and I headed home. Somewhere along the seven-hour drive, niggles inside my head started to Velcro to my mind — this deadline, that project, this question, that concern, this ruffle, that bother. And before I knew what was happening, my cup of joy had a crack.
As we traveled alongside 18-wheelers, the Holy Spirit started to navigate the mental mayhem. From Psalm 37:8b, “Do not fret–it only leads to evil,” a new refreshing thought process took shape. Harnessing the Words of David, the Spirit kindly presented a most practical application for me: “Don’t Feed the Fret.”
What? Did I understand correctly?
“Don’t Feed the Fret.”
A matter does not have to cause hand wringing to be considered a fret. You and I sustain our mental diets through the food we offer to our thinking. In fact, overly thinking about a matter or excessively analyzing a situation constitutes fretting.
So, with four simple words, I moved forward to make Don’t Feed the Fret my mental gatekeeper. With each temptation to fret (over-think, over-analyze) the decision to feed the fret or refuse to feed the fret stepped in. By applying this simple but practical instruction, my spiritual equilibrium slowly righted itself.
This tutorial revitalized my thinking. God got it right again!
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
“Now this is eternal life that they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
What is your insight on Psalm 37:8b, “Do not fret–it only leads to evil.”?
How has the Holy Spirit matured you in your thinking?
