It was one of those nights. My daughter had a tough time during online classes that day and was feeling overwhelmed and doubting her ability to understand the lessons. “Mom, I don’t think I can do it. I’m not smart enough, I’m too dumb,” my perfectionist daughter said defeatedly. She was on the honor roll the previous quarter and was disappointed she didn’t make it this time. I was shocked at her words. Her dad and I had tried to be mindful not to emphasize high grades but only their best efforts. I tried my best to reassure her, reminding her that she could always try again, that it wasn’t about the grades, but in never giving up.
But she kept repeating the same words over and over again to herself, sinking deeper and deeper into this hole of self-doubt and disappointment. I was getting frustrated and annoyed that she wasn’t listening to me. And I was keeping myself from sending a text message to the school complaining that the workload was too much. But knowing in my heart that it really wasn’t (since I knew what the tasks were). I sent out a desperate inner SOS.
And like manna from heaven, these sweet words quietly dropped into my Spirit.
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
We read through that verse together and dissected every word that she said over herself, identifying the truth (she can do it) and the lie (she was dumb), we did this over every word (discarding the lies and only accepting the truth). We also packed in a few life-giving descriptions in there until we ended the talk with bright eyes, renewed strength and a God-given mindset…and that was just me!
My daughter’s face looked like a cloud had been lifted and hope and joy were back in her eyes, we talked about how we had “to take every thought captive” because not every thought was from God and “to put into practice” what to do with the lies.
“What do we do with garbage?” I asked. “We throw it in the trash,” she replied.
Simple divine instructions…whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy…think about such things. Oftentimes, we accept words into our minds and hearts that are the opposite…accepting them as truth and allowing them to wreak havoc on our souls.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
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Thank you, Lord, for reminding us to teach our children (as well as ourselves) to only let into our hearts and minds what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy and to throw the rest out with the trash. That only these thoughts should have a place in there, that when we practice this, the God of peace will be with us, that You will be with us. Thank you, Lord, for being with us as we raise our children and to teach them how to discern truth from lie. In Jesus’ name, amen.
