Taming Our Thoughts

If you’ve ever been to the circus, you’ve probably seen a lion tamer who is deftly using his whip to indicate what  the lion must do next.  I shudder  to think of the first time the two met in the flesh and this process of taming began.  What a frightening experience – especially for the tamer whose jaws and teeth were not in the same ballpark in terms of size as the lion’s.  Yet, the tamer’s job was clearly to work the lion into submission which would take both time and effort.

So, how do we “tame” our thoughts?  So many things fly through our minds constantly:  to-do lists, planning ahead for vacation or retirement, anger toward a co-worker that continues to fester, or even a judgmental thought about a stranger we spot in the store.  Thoughts fire on and off as fast as breathing.

I read something recently about the importance of meditating on the majesty of God.  I tried to picture the descriptions in Isaiah 6 or Revelation 4.  But, my mind is so trained by this microwave society, it was truly a struggle!  How do we harness our thoughts in order to actually enter God’s presence – not in a battle, but in peace and tranquility?  I’ve come to the conclusion that for many (or, most) of us it takes practice and effort – at least for awhile – so it’s easier to give up and move on to our cell phones which feed us what we want without effort on our parts.  This is like exchanging healthy fare for junk food.

Anything that is truly valuable is worth fighting for, so let’s grab the whip and tame the tsunami of thoughts into submission so we can spend a few quiet moments in the presence of Our Almighty God.

“Take every thought captive…”   (2 Corinthians 10:5)