I just came inside from my walk, so thirsty, and filled the mason jar full of cold water from the tap. It’s a simple routine, my daily walk up and down the driveway, but it’s great exercise, and I love the fresh air and time alone, quiet, to think.
One of the things we love most about this property is the fact that the house is set so far back from the road, and my favorite thing is the long tree-lined driveway that winds down to the house. It’s very secluded, in fact if it weren’t for the mailbox you wouldn’t even notice the driveway.
Long ago, the original house-site was right up near the road. You can still see the driveway leading off to the side, and the cleared off spot where a mobile home had been. It’s still a lovely spot, but somewhere along the line, someone had been brave and said,
Let’s cut in a new road.
I’m so glad they did. Because the property’s sloped, someone had to do some massive excavating to cut this driveway into place. Same with the house. Originally, the whole property was just sloped, but now there’s a house-site tucked into the trees, and we’re so glad! Sure, we weed and maintain things, but the real work was completed long ago.
I’m also glad that someone did the work of clearing trails. Just moments ago the kids and I were hiking down to the pond, our favorite afternoon pastime. I’m so glad someone did the hard work, and we just get the fun job of maintaining them with our daily walks.
Most of the hard work has already been done.
This past week in our Armor of God study, we talked about the mind. As I met with several ladies recently, this theme arose again and again: Thought patterns.
Thought patterns are really just walks you take in your mind. You go somewhere with your thoughts. You follow a trail. Some of us rarely even give much thought to what that trail is or where it might be taking us. But there’s no denying this truth: The same thought-path taken over and over, becomes a well-worn trail that we find ourselves traveling again and again, whether we like it or not.
Usually, the destructive paths are the ones that are easy. Certainly, it was much easier for the original owners to just make the driveway way up by the road. No excavating necessary. But the truth is, there’s so much more beauty when we do the hard work of cutting in a new road, way deep into the glorious woods.
Our destructive thought-patterns are usually the ones that are easy. No resistance needed. No real mind-training needed. No battle. We’re slipped suggestions every single day, “Just meander down this mind-trail, it’s so easy…”
So we do. We meander to nursing wounds or feeding pride or silently criticizing others. We meander to worldliness and vanity, we meander to ungratefulness and entitlement.
Oh there are so many easy paths presented to us each day!
But what about cutting a new one?! Are we willing? There is so much BEAUTY if we will do the hard work of excavating out the recesses of our minds, and cutting new roads deep into truth, deep into glorious truth.
The real hard work must only be done once. After that, it’s just maintenance. Once we declare war on destructive mind-walks and begin to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2), and purposefully think about what is true, honorable, just, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8), we will find it easier and easier to travel that road again and again. And there is such fruit!
The fruit is peace, joy, love. The fruit is a settled faith and unshakable confidence because our mind is stayed on Him.
May we cut in new roads deep into the beauty of His truth, and enjoy the daily thought-walks along the paths of His glorious grace.
{Happy weekend! Thanks for reading.}
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Phil. 4:8