According to a scientific study of the human mind and its functions, immediately upon awakening, some of us have trained our minds to reflect on our past events. Furthermore, our thoughts continue to live in the past by thinking about painful and hurtful events instead of being in their present state. Therefore, we find ourselves moving backward instead of forward by rehashing our past mistakes; We replay old scenes of tortured memories, rethink thoughts of us not meeting work targets or desired goals, we fester over whether we are a good spouse, we regret eating that cupcake last night or our overall diet, or we hover over the fight we had with a family member at the previous cookout recently. Some of us, instead of worrying about the past, perseverate on thoughts that create worries that, 85 percent of the time, will never actually even happen.
What are the famous cue words from a Hollywood camera crew? “Lights, Camera, Action!”
Many of us love working in the spotlight. Also, many of us want to be in the spotlight but have yet had the opportunity to get there. Moreover, they are some of us who prefer to work in the background to make sure that everything that’s in the spotlight, i.e., stage performances, works accordingly to plan.
Can we talk a little bit about the “Lights?”
Whenever someone has stepped into a higher position, whether it’s pastoral, leadership, supervisor, management or anything managing people, they move into the spotlight whether they want to be or not. Once they have taken on the responsibility to lead God’s people (and yes: even if you’re in a workplace, it’s still God’s people), they have to be positioning executives to make thoughtful decisions about their organization’s mission and goals, and appropriately allocate resources to achieve those directives. Valuable leadership skills include the ability to delegate, inspire and communicate effectively.
For me, I have always been in the background, even in a management position for over 16 years. My comfortability was in the environment of working with clients over the phones until settlement day. However, when God called me out to be a Group Leader at the church, it never crossed my mind that I now would have to work in front of the scenes. Now, I’m not only worried about what I do, but what I don’t do too. I worry about when I’m not praying or when I’m not fasting. I think about when I let my thoughts run wild and when my children think I’m crazy. I wonder about if my husband ever wants to sell all the real estate, retire and move away and leave me, when business is not working according to plan, and whether or not the new medicine is causing migraines so terribly that it’s trying to steal the gift of writing that God has given me.
Believe me; as Christians, we feel as though we struggle with finding peace and hope at times. Cindy Trimm says, “There is a direct correlation between the quality of your thoughts and the quality of your life. What you think determines who you are; it determines what you are, where you go, what you acquire, where you live, whom you love, where you work, what you accomplish, what you read.”
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” {1 Peter 2:9 ESV}
Can we talk a little bit about the “Camera?” 
Although I’m in the spotlight, let me tell you how I’m going to help create the scene for the portrait to change the direction of my life. James Allen wrote in As a Man Thinketh, “All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” This pushed me to reflect on what I’ve been thinking about for these last couple of weeks. It all of a sudden hit me: the new medicine prescribed for my migraine headaches had given more side effects then I had hoped. As a result, it affected my ability to think, write, teach and barely communicate for the past couple of weeks. I am here to tell you that the enemy will try to go as far as causing complications through newly prescribed medicines and their effects on your relationships, both family, and friendship.
Ironically, and something worth noting is that my office visit, at which I was prescribed the medicine, wasn’t even about migraine headaches, so some doctors don’t listen. I honestly am not even sure of what it was for in hindsight… perhaps it was due to the tension in my shoulders and neck. What I am sure of, however, is that the next step is to conquer it!
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” {2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV}
Can we talk a little bit about the “Action”?
To this end, for me, being a writer is incredible, but I must go before every reader before they read anything I put my name on. Every supervisor has to meet with the CEO, director, and management of a company before meeting with their employees when introducing a procedure, or a new product. Pastors have to communicate with leaders and staff members before the congregation. In other words, what my family fails to see is that I’m taking every lick they didn’t get when they didn’t follow the procedures. I go before God in prayer on their behalf because I understand the spiritual warfare we’re facing. God chose me to be a warrior, and for those of you who are warriors, then you know the things we encounter. It’s watch, as well as pray. It’s not just watching for what you see, but for what you don’t understand and things that are in the spiritual realm. The hard part is when you have to try and balance knowing that with the family, who thinks you’re not fun and that you’re an introvert who always watches Marvel movies.
With that said, everything that you do is in your “action.” Nothing happens without putting forth action. You can set forth 50 business plans, and nothing will happen without…
However, one vital thing you should keep in mind is that you can start your day or even your night with something that is guaranteed to cover you and your family throughout not only the physical realm but the spiritual realm… That vital thing is worship! Sometimes we can’t understand why we have to go through the pain, hurt, or process. We struggle to understand why our hearts have to bleed with pain. What I have learned though is that I’d rather be broken and on my knees in the presence of the Lord in that secret place rather than be torn and lost where no one can reach me spiritually.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” {John 4:23 ESV}
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”{John 4:24 ESV}
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” {Psalm 95:6 ESV}