What do we think about?

Attitude. What is the role of attitude in our spiritual lives? In our day to day, moving around the world, getting work done lives? What role does how we think play in what we are able to do, and how close we are able to feel to God.

I think it has an important role, but is certainly not the only contributing factor.

I was reading Ben Witherington's blog yesterday. On it was a poem. Here is one stanza of it:

In the end a choice is made
by each and every life,
To savor life' inherent scent
or focus on the strife.

There is a bakery in our town, on the West End. As you drive by, if you pay much attention at all, you can smell the bread baking. You can make the choice to breathe it in, and fill your lungs with the tantalizing odor. Or you can ignore it. In this way, Ben is right. We do have choices.

We've all faced that choice -- to see the good in the life around us or to see only the strife. How we make that choice can change how we perceive the world, and how we react to it.

What role does God play in that choice?

On of my favorite verses of the Bible (Philippians 4:8):

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

And then, verses 8-9 from The Message:

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

What we think about does matter. What fills our minds is important. There are times, though, when it is difficult, if not impossible, to fill our minds with what is good. The bad is just too compelling. What then?

There is a book by Philip Yancey called Prayer. It has a subtitle that I normally ignore, "Does it make any difference?" I think that this is one of the many ways in which prayer can make a difference -- not just that "help me, God" or "fix this, God" prayer, but prayer which creates and sustains a relationship with God. That kind of prayer -- that kind of relationship with God -- can bring the good into our minds. Can empower us to "savor life's inherent scent."