This was something people said to me often, 'Penny for your thoughts' because I was a quiet kid who could usually be found sitting alone staring off into space, writing something down or reading. I was always thinking about something and honestly nothing much has changed. I have a noisy brain.
I once read that there on people on this planet who do not experience brain noise. Their minds are quiet unless they are actively thinking about something. I find that completely wild and I have to admit I am a little jealous because sometimes I would love a moment of brain silence.
That's one of the functions of the brain, to produce thoughts, but it isn't always helpful, positive or good. Like when you look at something and instantly think you'll be bad at it because you haven't done it before. Or thinking you're going to fail at everything because you failed once at something. Or thinking you're better or smarter than everyone else around you. Usually, the thoughts that are produced are rooted in something that was said to us, maybe even once, that our brain latched on to as truth and so continues to perpetuate the internal narrative that does not serve us well.
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things". It is possible to retrain your brain to produce thoughts that will yield good fruit. Will it be challenging? ABSOLUTELY, because we are so used to allowing our minds to run free. The check that we have and are taught as kids to watch what we say and how we speak should be the same check that we use on what and how we think. When a thought pops into our head that doesn't fit into the category of something that is good, pure, lovely, admirable, right, noble, excellent or praiseworthy - we have the ability to switch our thinking.
It will take a lot of work and effort, but God has called us to be in this world but not of it and retraining our brain to think on the things of God will affect how we speak and ultimately how we act. Let us allow the Holy Spirit full access to our thoughts and our minds so that what comes out of us - whether in thought, word or deed is always Jesus.
by Kalesha Peters
