Given that school has winded down, how can we find an effective way to combat an idle mind, no longer plagued by the stress of academia?
An idle mind, as the saying goes, is the devil’s workshop, a place in which he works to manipulate and mold our thoughts. If the canvas, being the mind, is blank, then he can paint it, distort it anyway he wants to. However, if the idle mind has the potential to be the devil’s workshop, it can also be God’s fortress – his entryway to us.
The first step to combating an idle mind is identifying the cause of it. We can’t begin to combat it, if we don’t know why it is idle. Inward reflection is at the beginning of most discoveries, so take the time to do so. Have you done anything for yourself? Was it stimulating? Fulfilling? Growing up, my father always told us that there is always something to do, and part of that idleness comes from inactivity, from accomplishing nothing. And I don’t mean by winning awards, but binge-watching TV shows on Netflix can only do so much for our minds.
To be clear, I’m not shaming anyone who binge watches Netflix or any other media service; I do the same thing. But what I am saying is that that can’t be all we do. Our souls aren’t fed that way, let alone our minds. To combat an idle mind, I read and write, anything to keep the mental juices flowing. But for you, that may be something else. Find the thing that you enjoy doing to occupy your time and even if you’re doing chores, perception is everything. My father also told us to do what we had to do so we could do what we wanted to. School is over and now we have free, uninhibited time to pursue our own interests. Take advantage of the opportunity, and if you’re doing chores, the most mundane of tasks, remember that it is a means to an end. It’s a task that must get done, but that will lead you to be able to do what fulfills you, all which will not only prevent an idle mind, but keep the devil and his devices at bay.
I said earlier that our minds can be a fortress for God, a way for Him to reach us. Well, if we can do it, if we can keep our minds focused on bettering our lives in anyway, not only does it keep the devil or any negativity out, but it invites God in.
