Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Have you ever had your mind get stuck? Obviously a healthy individual possesses a strong and healthy brain that functions normally. But I mean getting stuck in a particular mindset. No matter how you think about a situation you keep coming up with the same answers or understanding of the circumstances. Or worse, you have no idea that you are stuck. You think you are right, and just can’t see the scenario from a different person’s perspective. This is the time when you need to ask God to hit the refresh button.
Today’s young people have grown up with computers. They have lived and breathed technology since birth. I, on the other hand, grew up without this benefit. I had to learn the ins and outs of computers as an adult. Over the years I have come to understand the importance of the refresh button. If you come back to the website up on your screen the next day you may find the information is out of date. In order to get the newest report you must hit the circular arrow in the search bar and refresh the screen. I have also learned that changes you make to a website may not take effect if you don’t do the same.
Sometimes we live our lives stuck on the same page with old or errant information. We may carry around unfounded fears, prideful opinions, misunderstandings of God or His ways. Then we base our decisions or experience emotions originating from this wrong perspective. It is crucial for a child of God to understand the healing power of the refresh button.
I am sometimes awakened in the night by anxieties that disrupt my sleep. Work issues, family circumstances, financial concerns swirl around in my mind. Soon I find the negative thought patterns cause my mind to freeze in fear over things out of my control. I have learned at that moment to ask God to hit the refresh button. He usually answers my prayer for help by bringing Scripture to mind that bring me back to His reality.
King David also needed his mind refreshed. In his case, the problem was his sin. He had committed adultery with another man’s wife and had set up a murder of her husband when he found out she was pregnant. Somehow he missed the gravity of his wicked decisions. He was stuck in an attitude of entitlement as king, and his transgressions had to be pointed out by the prophet Nathan. When David grasped the reality of what he had done, his heart was broken. He prayed asking God to create a new heart and to renew a steadfast spirit within him. God was glad to oblige.
The day I discovered the refresh button on the computer changed everything. I was no longer stuck with old news or left wondering why my changes to a website were not taking effect. But the best refresh button I can ever recommend is related to the mind. We all get stuck with wrong thinking once in a while. It may be related to a misunderstanding of a situation or a failure to understand our own personal blind spots. But regardless, when we ask God for help He will respond. He has the power to release us from stagnant thinking and reveal our wrong perspectives. Try it — there is healing power in the refresh button!
Love,
Mama
