You Control Your Mindset: Dwell in the Land

Controlling what You Can
in this Uncontrollable World
Part 4

You Control Your Mindset: Dwell in the Land

The world around you may be out of your control, but you can still thrive when you choose to control what you can. You, and you alone, control yourself. As we continue to follow David’s instruction in Psalm 37, remember…

Only you can control:
Your Foundation: the LORD is in Control
Your Focus: Fret not. Trust in the LORD
Your Actions: Do Good

If you want to thrive, even in circumstances outside of your control, you must choose to “dwell in the land.” 

Psalm 37:3b “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land” 

David writes this as he himself is living in exile from his home and family. Circumstances completely out of his control landed him in surroundings that weren’t optimal for the typical “satisfying life.” Yet even in the midst of his unfortunate situation, he writes that you need to dwell in the land. I believe that he’s saying that you need to control your mindset by choosing to be settled, safe and satisfied right where you are, even when it’s not the ideal life you dreamed of.

Now hear me carefully—this is NOT to say that you are always stuck right where you are. If your work environment is not healthy for you, find another job! There are things you CAN control and you should choose to move on at times. The choice we’re talking about here, is the choice to have a settled mindset in the things you can’t control. You may have situations, people, or any number of things that you cannot change or control. Learn to control your mindset. Your mindset is a choice.

I find that when things aren’t what I want, my mind starts wishing to be somewhere other than I am or I begrudgingly hold out until the situation becomes ideal again. “If only this or that, I could be happy. I could really thrive if…I’ll just wait to thrive later when things go my way.” In these times, I’m not “dwelling in the land.” I’m escaping to the future or to a happy fairy dream. I can be happy and thrive right where I am regardless of my circumstances. I’m going to suggest that the idea of “dwelling in the land” is two fold. First, I need to choose to make the situation the best it can possibly be. I can make the best of any situation or relationship that I have. It may never be my dream situation, but I can work to make it the best it CAN be. Secondly, I believe this idea of “dwelling in the land” involves me choosing to be the best I can be in the situation. We see David in his unpleasant situation making it the best it could be, and we see him being the best person he could be in the uncontrollable craziness of his life. He chose to be settled, safe, and satisfied while he waited on the LORD to establish each step.

After all, grumbling and moping through life doesn’t make any situation better. Don’t continue to focus on loss. The only way to thrive through any given situation is to control your mindset: “God is at work establishing my steps and I choose to be settled, safe, and satisfied right here and I choose to make this the best it can be and to be the best I can be in it.”

So this week, turn your attention to controlling your mindset:
Choose to make each situation the best it can be
Choose to be the best you can be in each situation

You can thrive and shine when you control your mindset. You can become settled, safe, and satisfied right where you are if you will choose to make it the best it can be and be the best you can be while the Lord establishes each step of your life. Dwell in the land!