Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do 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 12:1-2
LEARN
Although we may never see ourselves fully healed from all our problems, because we live in a broken world, there are wonderful strategies and practical things we can be doing every day to renew our mind in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. The next time you are in a funk, you start spiraling, or you are desiring to be more hopeful in the midst of your circumstances try checking in with yourself by remembering the acronym PEACE.
-Pause. Eat. Acknowledge. Commune. Equip.-
PAUSE
Before you allow your mind to drift too far into negative thoughts, take control of your reactions. Pause. Take a deep breath and lean away from catastrophizing and lean into truth. “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
EAT
This one is self-explanatory yet often overlooked. Many times when our minds begin to spin, it is because we haven’t checked in with our bodies. Have you had water today? When was the last time you ate? What kinds of food have you been eating? Our physical health can wreak havoc on our minds, so before you allow your emotions to take over, be aware of what your body may be telling you. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
ACKNOWLEDGE
After you have regrouped a bit, taken a pause, and nourished your body, then you can regroup and come back to your emotions from a more level place. As you begin acknowledging your feelings, be aware of your tendency to spiral and try to reflectively and evenly process where you are. Journaling can often be helpful because it causes you to slow down enough to process your thoughts and write down more concretely where you are at. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
COMMUNE
Once you have been able to identify or acknowledge where you are, don’t leave those burdens to your own devices, bring them to God. God is an active God, desiring to commune with us, help us, and guide us through the work of the Holy Spirit. You are not alone in your sufferings. God not only brings you Himself, but His church are His hands and feet and your Christian community is ready to support you. Often times we think placing all of our burdens on God means we can just drop all of our stuff and wait for Him to do something about it all. This is partially true, as God works in our lives and is in control, however we are called to be active participants in bringing Him glory through prayer, petition, repentance, and proclamation. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
EQUIP
There may be many things you do not have any control over in your situation, but there are always things you can be doing that strengthen you and are God glorifying. How can you equip yourself in the midst of your sin and brokenness to still choose joy. What decisions can you make right now to improve your current circumstances? How are you equipping yourself to grow more into Christ’s likeness? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up THE SHIELD OF FAITH with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:12-18
