Uphill Thinking

Written By Mia Anne Cohen

I’m visiting close friends in Iowa. They recently had their third child, so I find myself with solo time here and there while they copilot bath times and bottle feedings, moving through their family’s routines and rhythms. If there’s no cooking or cleaning to be done, I find myself outside, walking uphill on the gravel road near their house. 

Taking deep breaths. 

Talking to God. 

Thinking about the present, the future.

I don’t know about you, but my mind can be an unruly place when I let it roam. It goes from thinking about just how much corn must grow in Iowa to pondering God’s immense love and awesomeness to feeling sorry for myself because I don’t have children to feed and a husband to do it with, and then back to corn again, only this time I’m thinking about corn-based foods like cornbread and popcorn (but never candycorn, ewww). Maybe I’m just hungry from all the walking. 

Like I said, it can be a wild ride. 

Perhaps there’s a place for letting our minds wander creatively, but the Bible does say to “…take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), so a little discipline is also in order. Thoughts lead to actions, and not all of my free thoughts in the past week would lead to actions that are life-giving, honoring, and productive. Maybe it’s presumptuous, but I don’t think I’m the only one in that seat…am I?

Actually, it’s also worth noting that actions in turn lead back to thoughts. What we think drives what we do, and how we experience the world through our actions in turn influences what we think, further demonstrating that maintaining authority over our thought life is a healthy and holy practice. Scripture affirms this when it says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). When we know Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit is our governor, and when we think and act in alignment with the Spirit of God, we find life and peace. What a delightful promise! 

So how do we actively live life with a mind governed by the Spirit? 

We seek God’s will and wisdom through His word. 

We pray to Him and live with intention. 

We obey God quickly and die to ourselves willingly.

These things help us have healthy, holy thoughts (and actions).

I once heard a pastor say, “Every decision gets 3 votes. One from the body (flesh), one from the soul (mind), and one from the spirit. The spirit always, always votes with God. The body usually votes against God. The soul is our swing vote - when our soul is healthy, it votes with God, and when it is unhealthy, it votes with the flesh” (paraphrased). When our souls (minds) are healthy, we partner with God in our decision-making and act in alignment with His will and plans.

It’s not always easy, but we don’t have to do it alone. Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that not only are we governed by the Spirit, but the Spirit actually intercedes for us. Let that sink in. The Holy Spirit of our Almighty God, our Creator, intercedes for you in perfect harmony with God’s will and plans.

Let’s consider where we may allow our flesh to govern our minds. Let’s ask God to pour His healing light into the areas of our thought lives He wants to change, and ask Him to show us how to take those thoughts captive. Let’s ask Him for a mind governed by His Holy Spirit, which brings life and peace. Praying with you. Amen!

Mia Anne Cohen

I taught middle school for 8 years, and sometimes, I still miss it. My students taught me about empathy, patience, and injustice. They instructed me in the ways of laughter and not taking myself too seriously, and they asked me to do a lot of wild things like pop their pimples and “Hit the Quan”. Back then, I was called to serve in a school, to teach and love my motley crew as well as I possibly could, and I was proud to do it.

Then, God called me out of middle school and into missions, a very different kind of education. In that season, I learned how to dream, how to dig deep wells of courage, how to take big steps of faith and walk boldly into new things. And you know what? He did all this so I could share my story with someone like you, to help you move from fear to faith. I want to teach you what I’ve learned, to help you understand fear only has the power you give it, to help you wake up to your purpose or just the next right thing and feel empowered to do something about it.

Let’s seize the new mornings with God and believe the promises he whispers. Let’s laugh ‘til our stomachs hurt and eat dark chocolate on weeknights and find moments of rest and joy in a busy world. And most of all, let’s run toward the things that scare us, realize they have no real power, and leave them in the dust. It took me years, and it is my hope that you don’t wait as long as I did.

https://www.miaannecohen.com
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