I Can’t Think Straight!
I Can’t Think Straight!
Glynnis Whitwer
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
(James 1:5)
I felt like I was walking in circles. My to-do list was long and I had accomplished nothing on it. Why couldn’t I think straight!? Urgency pulled and anxiety tugged, yet I couldn’t seem to make a wise decision about what to do next.
Have you ever felt like that? Some days I just plod along, hoping beyond hope that somehow I’ll pull myself together. Sadly, my success rate those days is low. Trying to do more is pointless when my mind is scattered. And that seems to be my biggest challenge these days—a cluttered mind.
For years, I never thought to ask God for help to think straight and make decisions. Maybe I’d bring Him in on the big decisions, but the little ones I figured I could handle myself. Then I read this passage with new eyes:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do (James 1:5–8).
I’d been trying for years to manage on my own. And when I did ask for help, doubt hindered my ability to hear God’s answer. I needed to change my expectations about God, and then invite Him into my daily decisions.
Once I started asking God to clear my mind and direct my decision making, I had to trust He was doing just that. After praying, if I sensed I was supposed to do a specific task, I did it, trusting that God was giving me wisdom. The more I trusted that nudge, the more I experienced God’s leading.
Listening and trusting are important parts of prayer, because the purpose of prayer is not always getting God to move. Many times, prayer positions us to hear God’s direction on how we should move. Through prayer, we align our hearts to God’s heart, and things become clearer.
Is the clutter in your mind making it difficult to think clearly? Are you trying to figure things out on your own? We’ve been given the mind of Christ and we are offered the wisdom of God. Ask and receive.
Lord, You know how hard it is for me to focus sometimes. It’s hard to figure out what needs to be done. I just feel overwhelmed and discouraged. I know You aren’t a God of confusion, so I ask for Your wisdom and clarity to help bring order to my chaotic thinking. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
REMEMBER
God longs to bring clarity, focus, and wisdom to your thinking if only you’ll ask for His help and believe He will answer.
REFLECT
Are there areas of your life that seem harder than others to figure out? Why do you think that is?
RESPOND
If you feel overwhelmed, sit down and ask God to show you His priorities for you. Write down what He tells you, and thank Him for His faithfulness.
POWER VERSES
Romans 8:6; Isaiah 26:3
From the book
