Think on These Things ~ Even When Life is Loud

Maybe you're sitting here right now with coffee in one hand and chaos in the other—trying to drink one and survive the other. Maybe your toddler just dumped a bowl of cereal on the floor, the phone won’t stop buzzing, and your soul feels frayed before 9 a.m.

Or maybe you just walked through the door after whisper-yelling at traffic like it was your full-time job. And seriously—how does that one guy still not know how to merge?

However you showed up today—tired or hopeful, overwhelmed or hanging on by a whisper—you’re here.

And that matters.

This post is for the ones whose thoughts are louder than their prayers.

The ones whispering, “Jesus, please,” while wondering if He’s still listening.

The ones who look strong on the outside but feel like they’re barely standing inside.

We see you.

More importantly—God sees you.

When the Mind Feels Like a Battlefield

You’ve probably read Philippians 4:8 before. It’s the verse that sounds like a sigh of peace:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

It’s beautiful, right? One of those verses we highlight in soft pastels and pin to our Pinterest boards. We frame it and hang it in our homes like a gentle reminder to breathe.

But if I’m being honest?

Some days, that verse feels impossibly far from where I live.

Because my mind?

It’s not always a peaceful garden—it’s a battlefield.

Some mornings I read that verse and think, “Okay, Paul—but what about when my thoughts are spiraling? What about when anxiety screams louder than truth? What about when the world doesn’t feel even remotely lovely?”

Here’s what stops me in my tracks every time:

Paul wrote those words from prison.

Not from a cozy retreat.

Not from a lakeside sabbatical.

Not with a cinnamon latte in hand.

He wrote them from a cold, hard prison cell—where his freedom was gone, his future uncertain, and his circumstances anything but peaceful.

He wasn’t speaking from a place of peace.

He was speaking into chaos with a mind anchored to something deeper.

He wasn’t escaping reality—he was surviving it.

That truth wrecked me.

Because maybe peace isn’t the absence of noise.

Maybe peace is the presence of focus—a holy defiance that says,

“I see the storm, but I’m still choosing what to dwell on.”

Your Mind Is a Battlefield—But You’re Not Powerless.

You know how fast it happens.

One hard moment. One heavy comment. One glance in the mirror.

And suddenly the lies start shouting:

“You’re not enough.”

“You’re too much.”

“You’ll never change.”

“You’ve failed too many times.”

And if we don’t interrupt those thoughts, they’ll set up camp and start decorating.

But 2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds us:

Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.

Not just the tame thoughts. Not just the church-friendly ones.

Every single thought.

That means when your mind says, “I’ll never get it right,”

you get to say, “Jesus, here’s that thought. I don’t want it. Replace it with what’s true.”

I’ve had to get real blunt with my own brain some days.

Honestly? I talk to my thoughts like they’re dramatic toddlers trying to run the house:

“Nope. We’re not spiraling today.”

“Nope. We’re not camping in shame.”

“Nope. That anxiety is not sitting on my front porch.”

Because peace isn’t passive.

Sometimes, peace sounds more like a battle cry than a lullaby.

So What Do We Do When Life Is Loud?

Let’s talk strategy. Here are three ways I’ve learned to fight for peace in the middle of the mess:

1. Remember What’s Real

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

Psalm 103:2

We forget. Oh, how we forget.

We forget the prayers He answered last year.

The comfort He gave in the middle of the night.

The strength He poured into a day we didn’t think we’d survive.

We forget and start rehearsing our fear instead.

So David talks to his own soul like a coach in the locker room:

“Don’t forget. Don’t you dare forget.”

Take a moment today to remember.

Write it down. Speak it aloud. Rehearse your rescue story.

Because in the noise, our memory of what God has done in the past  is a weapon.

2. Speak Truth Out Loud

The tongue has the power of life and death…

Proverbs 18:21

When your mind starts spinning, say something.

I know it feels weird. I know you might feel silly.

But this isn’t fake positivity—this is spiritual warfare.

Speak truth until it settles in your bones:

“I am loved.”

“God is not done with me.”

“This is not the end of my story.”

Your words carry power.

Sometimes, your mouth has to lead your mind.

Sometimes, your voice has to preach louder than your fears.

3. Laugh Like It’s a Weapon

A cheerful heart is good medicine…

Proverbs 17:22

Laughter isn’t weakness. It’s not denial.

It’s an act of holy resistance.

When the coffee spills, the toddler melts down, the day unravels by 10 a.m.?

Laugh.

Laugh like it’s a fist raised against fear.

Laugh like you already know who wins.

Because joy isn’t a reward for people who have it all together—

Joy is your birthright in Christ.

It’s your strength. Your inheritance.

So let the sound of your laughter echo back at the darkness and say,

“You don’t get the final word.”

When It All Feels Like Too Much…

If your thoughts are tangled and your heart is tired, pause right here.

You don’t have to fix everything.

You don’t have to feel strong.

You don’t have to know the next step.

Just fix your eyes.

Not on the mess.

Not on the pressure.

Not on the loud lies.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Because He is still:

Good.

True.

Lovely.

Near.

Even in your chaos

So today, find one true thing. Just one.

A verse that holds you.

A breeze through the window.

A song that lifts your soul.

A whisper from heaven that says,

“There I am. Even here. Even now.”

Thanks for stopping by today—really.

I hope your soul exhaled.

I hope something deep inside you felt seen.

And I hope you heard this whisper from Heaven:

“You’re not alone. You’re not forgotten. I’m still holding you.”

If this spoke to your heart, pass it along.

Because we’re all walking through noise—and we need each other’s reminders that:

Truth still stands.

Beauty still matters.

And God is still good—even when life is loud.

Until next time:

Laugh when you can.

Rest when you need to.

And think on these things…

Because in Christ?   Even chaos can’t cancel peace.