The Trail of Thought

I’ve been on some different trails lately. A few weeks ago we were visiting our daughter Julie and her family in Mexico. While there I take a morning walk up the mountain, following a horse trail for a good part of my walk. The hooves of the horses over the years have cut the trail deep, maybe six inches, at places. Then there’s the hiking trails in Turkey Run State Park in Indiana that Diann and I took while camping recently. These trails have been made by countless people taking the exact same path around a certain tree, over a certain rock, and alongside a certain hill.

Trails are made when the same way is taken time and time again. I got to thinking that the brain makes trails as much as do feet. When we think the same way over a period of time it becomes easier and easier to follow that train of thought, to keep thinking that way. It also is more difficult to take our thoughts a different direction.

This is both good news and bad news. It’s bad news when we allow ourselves to keep thinking harmful thoughts. It’s good news when we guide ourselves to continue to think helpful thoughts.

God has given us the amazing ability to think about what we think about! The decision is ours as to whether we create trails of bad thoughts or good thoughts.

We can think negative, hurtful, lustful, discouraging, and evil thoughts. We can also think helpful, loving, encouraging, and godly thoughts. The choice is always ours.

Is there an area in which you have to admit you’ve allowed yourself to lead yourself down a wrong line of thinking time and time again, perhaps many times through each day? Most of us can identify one or more such areas. It’s human nature (fallen human nature) to take the low road. The Lord calls us to take the high road.

“Finally, brothers, 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.” (Philippians 4:8)

It’s time to cut a new trail! So, I just was wondering; what do you think?