Have you ever noticed a really good movie soundtrack? 

I know I have. Guardians of the Galaxy stands out to me as one of the first that I noticed, but the list is extensive.The Greatest Showman, Frozen, Hamilton, The Lion King, and the list goes on and on and on. A good soundtrack is powerful to a movie. It moves scenes along, it causes emotions to be felt deeper, and if it’s really good… it sticks with you. 

We all have soundtracks stuck in our heads. Things that play all the time and help move us along through the scenes of our lives. They are our thoughts. And I would make the claim that the soundtracks we’re stuck listening to aren’t very good. In fact, they’re straight up bad. 

According to the National Science Foundation, 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of our thoughts are repetitive.

Let that sink in for a moment. As you go throughout your day, you are listening to a negative soundtrack that repeats itself. It’s no wonder that depression, anxiety, and loneliness have reached epidemic levels.

C.S. Lewis, a revolutionary Christian thinker and author, said this in 1958 (aka a really really long time ago before the invention of social media and the iPhone)... 

“Praise almost seems to be inner health made audible.”

― C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms

Woah. Our inner health and wellbeing is reflected in our praise. Not just how much we praise or what we praise, but what our praise looks like. You see, we are all praising something. From the most zealous Christ follower to the hard core atheist. Praise and worship aren’t a religious thing, they’re a human thing. Wired into our finite nature is the fact that we worship. Put simply, we give our time, effort, devotion, and attention to something and someone. All the time. 

What are you worshiping? 

Is it causing the soundtrack of your mind to reflect more or less of Jesus? 

You see, all over the Bible, we actually can begin to see a way to fight against these negative thought patterns. We are handed real examples of ways that we can rewire our brains to think more in line with Jesus, and less in line with the world. The conversation of mental health is not a new one (although social media, phones, and desensitization are surely fueling it), it’s actually an ancient one from the times of the Bible because the writers and people of that day and age knew that the battle has always been between the ears, in our own heads. Check out what the Apostle Paul has to say in his letter to a church in Rome… 

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, 
but let God transform you into a new person 
by changing the way you think. 
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, 
which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2, NLT

How are we transformed? By changing the way we think. It begins in our minds, and it leads to our actions, decisions, and way of life. That’s powerful stuff! If we can change the soundtrack of our thoughts, we can be transformed into the people that Jesus has called us to be! Sounds simple, right? Sadly it’s a little bit harder than it may seem. And I could write extensively on this subject, but let me close with a simple takeaway that I hope is helpful. 

Change the station. 

Shift what you listen to. Redirect what you focus on. And then repeat this every day. And like a muscle, watch your mind’s ability to focus on the good grow and become more natural.

For some of you, this literally means changing the station. The music you listen to, the shows you watch, and the people you follow all have a direct impact on how you live. What you allow before your eyes and ears gets into your mind and heart. Change it! 

For some of you, this may take some time to figure out. Is it a friend who always gossips and talks down on people? It may be time for some distance. Is it an adult who pulls you down? It might be time for some boundaries. Is it a schedule that simply demands too much? It might be time to learn the art of saying no. 

Change the station, learn how to praise the only One who deserves all praise, Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him and the cross moment by moment. Get Him stuck in your head. Watch how He begins to move.

For His House,

Mitch Frost