Ponder Anew

BY MARY REARICK PAUL

All of us have times when we feel forgotten, rejected and/or deeply alone. There may be trauma of loss or betrayal for you in this season. Showing up for anything, including church, is a brave act when you are vulnerable. There is also a distinction (with some potential overlap) of carrying grief and pain and the effects of negative self-talk (what we ponder).

Walking the valley of the shadow of death marks all of our lives at some point. The isolation experienced when the grief is especially acute is real. And I pray for God’s strength and provision if this is your journey. There are other times where the negative feelings are not as much connected with trauma as to what thoughts capture our minds. How do we ponder events and words that then inform our sense of self-worth? The source of the negative message can be internal or external. Sorting through the power of these feelings takes some intentional work in prayer, conversations with soul friends, counseling, and more. When our minds and hearts are captured by negative messages, we can be hindered in our experience of God and His calling on our lives.

We may be absorbing messages through a broken filter. For example, a person walking by without saying “Hello” can spiral us into negative assumptions regarding what they think about us, how we have no true friends, etc. In addition, our ability to take one mistake and make it a definition of our personhood is remarkable and harmful. We can take negative thoughts and replay them in such a way the message is given a loud, consistent power over our lives. This can distort our hope for the future in ways that direct our paths.

Negative messages about our self-worth, whether real or interpretive, are powerful. Positive psychology says it typically takes three positive messages to counteract a negative.1 Some have suggested if the source is a significant person, it may take five positives to counteract the negative. This provides a few challenges for us. The first is an output challenge. We need to think about how we might be the carrier of positive messages for others. As we walk into Lent, we are asked to pray about what to discard and what to take on. Perhaps we should consider taking on the practice of sending out ten positive texts to people in your life each week of Lent. We can ponder anew how God can use our words of affirmation for another.

We might also need to review how we can create practices that counter the negative messages we absorb. We all can seek escape from those feelings with easy access to devices that offer distractions. They can provide a temporary relief but don’t help us move forward. The challenge is to broaden the input to include God’s word, God’s promises, and God’s presence. Ultimately, it’s not just about having a more positive outlook but actually hearing and living into a deeper truth of who God says you are and how He sees your value and purpose and future.

Lent is a season of confession. One way I like to think about confession is inviting the light of Christ to shine upon our lives and speak the truth of what is revealed. This can be things that need to change (repentance) and it can be a planting of new seeds that will make room for God’s love for us to bear new fruit.

One practice that can plant new seeds of God’s life is a breath prayer. Here is an example:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”2 (Breathe in for 5 counts.)

“Your works are wonderful. I know that full well.” (Breathe out for 5 counts.)

Repeat as needed.

It takes practice to let the good news of being created in love, and embraced in love, to settle deep in our souls. Pondering and wondering anew gives us space to receive God’s delight over us and a hopeful vision for the future. The third verse of the hymn “Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty” captures this call to ponder:

“Praise ye the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee. Ponder anew What the Almighty can do If with His love He befriend thee.”3

Dr. Mary Rearick Paul, D.Min, serves as the Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Bnagor Maine

1 Robinson, Bryan E. “10 Ways to Apply the 3-To-1 Positivity Ratio.” Psychology Today, 17 Oct. 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-rightmindset/202010/10-ways-apply-the-3-1-positivityratio

2 Psalm 139:14, New International Version

3 Neander, Joachim. “Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty.” Worship in Song. Lillenas Publishing Company, 1972, p. 73