In the morning when you wake up, what is the first thing you do?
For me, I would say half the time, I stretch and reach out to God. The other half of the time, I stretch and reach for my phone.
On the days I reach out to God first, I start my day with gratitude, which produces joy, peace, and a sense that everything is going to be alright. It produces in me an awareness of the present moment and gives me time to connect personally with Jesus.
When I reach for my phone first, oftentimes there is a message or a news article or some video that causes a little bit of angst. What could possibly be so important? Who cares what Donna Joe said about Peggy Sue? Who cares that the next fashion trend hit the streets? Who cares that the left and right are fighting with teeth and nails? Honestly, does that need to be the first thing I do?
When starting with God, my day builds on the foundation of Christ. Meaning bad things can happen, and circumstances might be poor, but I have on my armor. Things that come at me don’t seem as hard or as miserable; rather, they seem more like, “Eh, it is what it is. God’s got this. Let’s see how He is going to work this out for good.”
When starting with my phone, the angst produced by some image, sound, video, message, or… burden… becomes severe anxiety. I start to go about my day and wonder where the anxiety is coming from. By the end of the day, it’s a big knotty yarn ball of anxiety and negative thoughts. The anxiety I feel produces negative thoughts because I think, “Where is this coming from? What did I do wrong to be feeling this way? Did I sin in some way? Am I condemned? Why can’t I get this feeling to go away? I must deserve it.” These thoughts produce condemnation, and condemnation produces more anxiety. More anxiety leads to an overall negative outlook, and a negative outlook turns into how we treat one another.
In the morning, where will we turn first? Teaching healthy patterns and habits is part of NuWell’s forte. Let our counselors help you dissect your unhealthy patterns, habits, and addictions, and turn those into healthy habits, patterns, and addiction to Christ.
