Always Growing in Thought

When was the first time you remember becoming aware that you had thoughts rolling around in your head?

I remember sitting in class one day in third grade and becoming aware of the thoughts in my own head, likely about whatever lesson was going on at the time. It was striking to me really, that I had a brain and it functioned to some degree with what seemed like a mind of its own, although technically I was the conductor on this train track. Maybe you were like me in that first real moment of cognitive awareness, loaded with rapid-fire questions for no one in particular but your own mind:

Do all these other people have thoughts in their head?

(Of course! They must!)

What were they thinking about? This lesson? Cheese? Their own thoughts as well?

(All of the above.)

Can their thoughts hear my thoughts?

(No. We are not Kylo Ren and Rey. This is not Star Wars.)

Do our thoughts meet in some invisible conference room somewhere and have brainstorming sessions?

(No, although that’s fun.)

Thoughts, like so much else are a bane and a blessing. How would we function without them? Aren’t you thankful God made our big, beautiful brains to connect to all our systems and not only help us breathe, and walk, and eat, but also talk and think? What would life be like without a way to process all the input coming into our bodies? Imagine life without these thoughts:

Look at that sunset. Wow!

I’m frustrated. What can I do about this problem?

I’m sad. I think I need some help.

That’s interesting. How can I learn more?

Yet, thoughts also can feel like invisible internal assault weapons:

How could I be so stupid?

What was I thinking?

Why bother?

Get it together already.

It can be easy to assume God operates the same way we do, both with compassionate, creative, and interesting thoughts toward us, as well as negative and insulting dialogue headed in our direction. Yet, God promises us that His thoughts don’t operate like ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). That’s good news for our day.

Psalm 139:1-3 reads:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.

God searches us, top to bottom, inside out. Even though we cannot see the Holy Spirit at work, the Spirit of God discerns our thoughts. This word discern is an interesting choice. There’s a lot packed into that one little term, so let’s look at it more closely. Consider discernment as God’s thoughts toward us. God’s processing of our characters, our movements, our internal workings, and our interactions before Him.

God’s discernment or God’s thoughts towards you, step one:

He considers you and your thoughts.  

There is comfort to be found here. In order to discern something, you have to first consider it, take notice of it. God could choose not to bother with us, or not to bother with us beyond our salvation and knowledge of Jesus, but instead, God bothers with us. He’s even interested in those thoughts swirling inside our head.

God’s discernment or God’s thoughts towards you, step two:

He looks carefully at you and your thoughts.

Discerning is less about vaguely looking in the direction of something and more about looking closely, carefully. It might be easy for us to imagine God nit-picking our thoughts, but remember, our God in Jesus Christ is a grace-filled God. While He judges sin, He sent Jesus to save. Looking carefully isn’t about finding the wrong to point divine fingers at, but to guiding, protecting, loving, and sheltering. Sometimes, our own thoughts are what we need shelter from, and so God enters into our lives to look carefully at them for our benefit.

God’s discernment or God’s thoughts towards you, step three:

He seeks to learn about you and understand you.

While God knows all there is to know about us, the word discern in Psalm 139:2, or bantah (long a) בַּ֥נְתָּה, in Hebrew, gives us an accurately active picture of God’s interest in our thoughts, our minds, and our whole beings. God understands us, and still seeks to understand us. It’s a bit of a mystery how this works, but it reminds us that our relationship with God is neither static nor one way. It’s intended to be a reciprocal relationship, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. God is always interested in us and what we’re thinking, like a good friend, but better, a friend with the power to save us from ourselves. 

One of the best ways to deal with both our meandering thoughts, our assaultive thoughts, and our imaginative thoughts is to share them with God. While God actively knows them already, allowing more space in our lives for Him to help us discern our thoughts is part of the joy and benefit of relationship with Him. I need God’s help with my thoughts, and you likely would like His help with yours. God’s forgiveness in Jesus is only a thought away when my thoughts go awry. God’s wisdom is only a neuro connection away when I need His guidance.

God is here for this. God is here for you. Let your thoughts lean toward Him and rest in the knowledge that the God of the Universe holds you and each of your thoughts.

GROWTH QUESTIONS:

What thoughts in your mind are you thankful for today?

What thoughts in your mind are you troubled by today?

Find the introduction to Always Growing: A Study of Psalm 139 here:

Next Up: Always Growing in Words