Can our minds really help us in times of trouble?

Q: My dad always said, “Mind over matter,” when it came to dealing with problems. Now that he’s gone, I find myself hearing those words in my head when I’m up against a struggle. Can our minds really help us in times of trouble? — M.T.

A: Think about the incredible number of messages that surround us every day that shape our thinking. Information that comes to us through television, radio, websites, magazines, song lyrics, movies, conversations with friends—the list is almost endless.

This is sometimes called “information overload,” and it goes into the mind and remains. Images, words, and persuasions become part of who we are, and much of it is harmful. The mind is the devil’s favorite avenue of attack. Our minds are molded in many different ways—often in ways we are not aware of at the time.

What the world calls valuable, God calls worthless. What the world looks down on, God praises. Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). When we fill our minds with the things of God, it begins to affect our thinking and our decisions in the right way. The very practice of reading the Bible will have a purifying effect upon the mind and heart. The truth is, God wants our minds to be shaped by Him so that our thoughts and actions reflect Christ. He instructs families to “fix these words of mine in your hearts and mind” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19).

The Scripture goes on to instruct us to dwell on His words when we rise up and when we go to bed at night, and when we walk along the way of life. It simply means to think of these things continually. His words are truth and they will shape us.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2021 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2021 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.