MIND OVER MATTER - by Antje Hill 

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You…..” Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) 

I quietly closed the door behind me, trying not to wake my husband. I set my phone to map my morning walk. The air was cool for late summer, but the sun had started to warm the breeze just a bit. The maple trees swayed in the quietness of the morning.

As I reached the walkway, I noticed it had been beautifully manicured since yesterday’s walk. The weeds that had relentlessly pushed through the small cracks in the sidewalk were gone. The maintenance crew knew they couldn’t afford to ignore them. It’s a fact, weeds multiply with no human effort. 

Looking at the landscape, I thought of how our Heavenly Father grieves when weeds of anger, resentment and weariness come up in our life. These are of a much more serious nature. Unless taken out immediately, these little menaces become disgustingly healthy. Just by letting them stay, they flourish. Eventually they steal our joy and peace because our mind focuses on the weeds rather than our relationship with God. As we mature in our faith, we understand it’s mind over matter. If our mind stays on Him, the weeds won’t matter. They die as we experience overwhelming love, compassion and forgiveness in His presence. I continued my walk with a song in my heart, remembering how God had patiently waited for me to learn the power of His presence. 

Today’s Christian writer has her own column in Parents and Kids magazine and is a FaithWriters contributor to iDisciple.org. Contact