To say that these are stressful times is a serious understatement. There are people all over the world who have lost their health, jobs, loved ones, and their own lives. Phrases like “social distancing” and “self-isolation” are commonplace. And many parents have found themselves working from home while homeschooling their children. If we’ve ever needed to be sober-minded, it’s now.
The world, the flesh, and the devil work overtime to provoke us to panic, worry, and fear. They coax us to return to habits we’ve been delivered from to cope with the chaos. Or they entice us with decadent food, Netflix binges, and bottles of wine to calm our nerves and comfort our hearts.
Those things may bring a temporary boost to our depressed and discontented minds, but they can never give us lasting peace. Only God can do that. And He uses His word, His Spirit, and His people to lift our spirits and help us stay sober-minded in stressful times.
1Peter 4:7 KJV~ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
What does it mean to be sober-minded?
If you think in the context of drugs and alcohol, you’re sober when your body is free from those things that intoxicate you. Emotions rule over unsober people, and their circumstances easily sway them. They are foolish and unstable. And they have fuzzy thinking and poor decision making.
A sober mind is a sound, disciplined mind that isn’t carried away with imaginations or worried about the “what if’s”. It protects us from emotional instability and prevents erratic behavior. We can be even-keeled amid tumultuous times as we practice being sober. Our mind requires constant renewal, just like a muscle that needs to be exercised to avoid atrophy.
It’s absolutely natural to weep over the state of this world, to grieve the past and fear the future. Anger and anxiety are normal responses to these stressful times, but we can’t allow our emotions to dictate our days.
You can respond to trials in a way that glorifies God, and you can have peace in the panic and hope in the hopeless. Because genuine comfort and lasting peace are ours when we filter every stressful situation through the truth of God’s word.
We stay sober in stressful times by learning to process our pain in healthy and God-honoring ways. Click To TweetRomans 12:2 KJV~ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 Key Components of a Sober Mind:
Two things to remember to renew your mind and be sober are to cast down imaginations (2Cor. 10:5) and think on things that are true (Phil.4:8). So when disturbing death counts and dwindling supplies attempt to draw you into depression, cast down imaginations, and think of things that are true. Or everyone in your house is stir-crazy and cranky, and you’re on the brink of a meltdown, cast down imaginations, and think on things that are true.
At the root of every emotional explosion is a lie that we’re believing. Identify it, cast it down, and replace it with the truth that counters it. Truths like:
- God will never leave me or forsake me.
- He is always faithful.
- The Lord is at work even when I don’t see it.
- God is good and good at being God.
- God’s grace is enough for every battle.
If we spend our days scrolling social media instead of saturating our minds with scriptures we won't have the truth when we need it. Click To Tweet
6 Steps to a Sober Mind:
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post on the 6 steps to a sober mind. Below, I summarize those steps. (You can read the entire article here.)
- Take a time-out. Pause to put the situation into perspective!
- Take every thought captive. Put the cuffs on it!
- Take it to the word. Pick a scripture!
- Tap out of the fight. Practice humility!
- Tap into the force. Power up!
- Talk it out with God. Pray without ceasing!
When you apply those 6 steps to a sober mind, you strengthen your faith, develop godly character, and increase your spiritual maturity.
What’s in Your Spiritual Storehouse?
It’s times like these that the truth I’ve invested in my spiritual storehouse over the years has become so valuable. There are a few phrases of scripture that are circulating my mind during this crisis. Each one is a snippet of a different Bible story, but they have a common theme. These scriptures strengthen my soul and help me stay sober during this stressful situation.
- You have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14)
- What the enemy means for evil, God intends for good. (Genesis 50:20)
- God is in the midst of you. (Psalm 46:5)
Like balm to my soul, these bible verses minister to me in a way that no bottle or biscuit ever could.
What scriptures are you pulling from your storehouse today? If you don’t have any, now would be a great time to be intentional to invest in your spiritual growth, and study and memorize the scriptures.
Essentials for a sober mind
Along with the Bible, God has given us His Spirit and His people to help us be sober-minded in stressful times. To walk in the Spirit requires prayer, praise, and putting time in at the feet of Jesus. And those are fundamentals for staying sober-minded as well.
Equally essential to our emotional, mental, and spiritual health is fellowship and accountability with other believers. If you want to be sober-minded in stressful times, reach out to a mature believer for prayer and wise counsel. Let them encourage you and help keep you in your right mind, walking closely with Jesus through the dark valleys.
More posts to help you be sober-minded:
What the Bible Says About Being Sober-Minded
16 Scriptures for a Sober Mind
18 Psalms for a Sober Mind in Suffering
The Importance of a Sober Mind for Spiritual Stability
What Does it Mean to Be Sober?
The Importance of a Sober Mind in Times of Transition
Get a “My Jesus Journal” to help you be sober-minded
I designed and published a tool to help Christian women to know Jesus more intimately. My Jesus Journal focuses your time in the word on learning more about the Lord and cultivate a closer relationship with Christ.
Intended to be used alongside your daily Bible reading, My Jesus Journal has space to record the date, the scriptures you read, and lined spaces to write your observations about Jesus you saw in the text. The bottom of that page has a verse from the KJV Bible about Jesus. The next page has space to write prayers related to what you discovered in your reading. There are also extra prayer pages in the back of the book.
Mark 12:30 tells us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, but we cannot love someone we do not know. The more time we spend intentionally seeking Jesus in the pages of scripture, the more we will know Him and love Him. My Jesus Journal aids us in our quest to learn and love and know Jesus more deeply.
Beautiful, portable, and affordable!
If you are looking for a tool to help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus, build intimacy into your relationship with Him, and deepen your love for the Lord, then My Jesus Journal is just what you need!
Beautifully designed with your spiritual growth in mind, I perfectly sized My Jesus Journal to fit into your purse, backpack, or diaper bag. You can grow on the go when you use wait times in the Doctor’s office, the carpool line, etc. for Bible study.
My Jesus Journal is extremely affordable, so you can purchase just one for yourself, or consider buying one for your entire ministry, to begin a season of seeking Jesus together. It makes an excellent gift for any Christian woman in your life!
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If you need someone to contribute articles to your website, or to collaborate with you on a project, you can view my portfolio and my beliefs to see if I would be a good fit for your readers. If so, please email me at dailyhisdisciple@gmail.com with what you are looking for, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Resource Library
I created a resource library with FREE tools for spiritual growth here at Daily His Disciple. It includes a 17-page guide to How to Study the Bible. There are scripture lists for topical study and memorization (including 14 Scriptures for a Sober Mind). Simply enter your email address and hit subscribe to get the link to the resource library and the password.
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Already subscribed to Daily His Disciple? Just email me and I will send you the link and password!
Pray With Confidence
A strong prayer life helps us to be sober-minded in stressful situations. If you would like to grow in your prayer life, then check out Pray with Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the regular contributors. Here are some links I think will be a blessing to you:
3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability
19 Bible Verses that Reveal the Will of God
Check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and tough questions tabs. There are many fantastic options to boost your spiritual growth!
This is a wonderful post and reminder of how to stay focused on God in such trying times!
Praise the Lord! Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂
This is beautiful devotional and encouragement.
The T’s enlisted are worth a pin. Do you have a pinnable or printout for these reminders?
Hugs #CWBU
I finally found some time to put a pin of the steps on here. Thank you for the suggestions! 🙂
Awesome
I’m sharing along😊
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this! When I lost my daughter 5 months into the pregnancy, I made a decision that I was not going to drink. I was going to grieve and allow God to fill the holes instead of alcohol. God used that time to throw me up over His shoulders and carry me around while I healed. Now, I am familiar with His voice, the way He moves. I go where He goes and I KNOW Him. God used that time to propel me into the calling He had for me. If I would have drank during that time then I would have never gotten to see what God had for me. I feel completely fulfilled today because I am living out His purpose in me and I wouldn’t have gotten to see this unless I allowed myself to to see Him-to run to Him instead of the bottle.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your testimony of staying sober and seeking the Lord during that difficult time. That is so beautiful. What a blessing! 💕
Thanks for this reminder. It is really time to be sober. At times, I feel everything happening around is too much, but we just really have to pray so that many will turn to God.
I can totally relate. And yes, prayer and praise the Lord for His deliverance! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I appreciate it! 🙂