A strong mind is essential to live a life that is filled with confidence in God and a hope for the future. Distractions, frustrations, and sorrow will come and go in life. God is our only guaranteed constant, and it is our duty to learn to surrender our expectations and to step into who He is creating us to be.
It is amazing the difference one can experience in life when you make the intentional switch to finding your security in God! Things that once upset you and ruined your day no longer carry the weight they once did. And the more you practice this resilience, the easier it will become!
Don’t be a victim of your feelings, learn to become their master!
Difficult People
No matter who you are, odds are good you will have difficult people in your life. The sooner you learn how to work with them, the better!
Interestingly enough, it is through the most difficult people that you will have the best opportunity to develop a strong mind! Learn to see them as a tool from God, not a pest. Perhaps they frustrate you an extra amount because God needs you to pray for them. Rest assured, God didn’t accidentally place them in your life without a purpose. Lean in and do your best to learn from the situation.
Another important dynamic to difficult relationships is to be sure not to let the person you find difficult set the terms of the relationship. Don’t be reactive and responsive, but rather take charge of your side of the relationship. Learn to see the best, and even call it out to them. Some people simply get a charge from trying to get a rise out of you. Don’t be a participant, be a leader. Be proactive and find something positive to call out to them regarding the situation. Be willing to be seen as naive in seeing the best in them.
I worked with a very difficult lady for a while. She was snide, rude, and quite honestly, a pain in the neck. But instead of seeing her annoying comments and rudeness for what they appeared to me to be, I’d brag on her for her thoughtfulness in mentioning these things to me. I’d tell her how helpful her comments were because they helped me understand what she was dealing with. My choosing to see her pettiness in this way put her quite off balance. She wasn’t able to control me as she had bragged about controlling others and I think she thought I was incredibly aloof because of the way I chose to receive her words and efforts.
Switch Gears
The things that have always bugged you don’t have to. Read that again! The petty annoyances that you have always let rob you of joy don’t have to have that freedom! This realization is an enormous game changer! Learn to have a strong mind and change your thought patterns.
The best things come from the hardest things. Do you have the courage and the strength to switch gears and begin to look for the good? Ask God to help you see things from His perspective. He doesn’t waste hurt or inconvenience, He orchestrates things specifically for our good! Seek to understand His plans and His leading, you can be sure He sees the big picture.
Switching gears can be as simple as choosing not to react, but rather determine ahead of time how you want to respond to situations or people that trigger you. A strong mind requires honesty with yourself to acknowledge where you need to work and improve. God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love and self control! Lean into that and make the decision to face the opportunities head on.
With God for us, who dare be against us?!
Reframe the Situation
Sometimes I wonder if the more extreme the situation, the easier to switch gears and choose the grace God gives. The grace is always available in abundance, so perhaps the more that is given to confront these moments is more available? I’m not sure, but I feel that sometimes the more extreme the situation, the more aware I am of God’s presence.
But what about the everyday? The moments that annoy but don’t cripple? Perhaps it is especially in these moments that we need to be on guard to have a strong mind. Pray to have the eyes to see areas we need to work and then have the courage and strength to address them. This isn’t about being all down on ourselves, but rather learning how to work with the people God specifically brings into our lives.
When someone has the same frustrating or annoying response that they always have, instead of reacting like you always do, remember you have a special, abundant grace to handle this situation. Consider how you can reframe the situation so that you can internalize the meaning and intent in a better way. Have a strong mind, versus a reactive one. Pray to see things from God’s perspective.
Another thing I would encourage you to do, if this is a recurring situation, is talk with the other person. Gracefully and calmly let them know how it feels on your side of it. You may just find this is exactly what they are experiencing too. Seek to do what you can to put them at ease and it is very likely this will relieve your side of the situation in ways you couldn’t resolve any other way!
Our attitude towards life is one of the most important things in life. A strong mind will take you so much further than a reactive mind – and it honors God so much more beautifully!
Until Next Time!
Hope.