Esther Smith’s, “A Still and Quiet Mind: 12 Strategies for Changing Unwanted Thoughts”

Contributed by Berry Hudson

One of the most common counseling conversations we have centers on unwanted thoughts. From the unsettling idea of doing harm to a loved one to the more benign tendency for one’s brain to want to plan out next Saturday’s dinner menu at 2 AM, our thoughts are very often uncontrolled and unwanted. To make matters more challenging, usually the most obvious strategies to combat these thoughts and the least effective ones. They tend to rely on our power and will instead of God’s mercy. As well, our common strategies focus on eliminating unwanted thoughts ASAP instead of doing the more uncomfortable but more helpful work of listening to them in a way that allows us to respond in the healthiest way possible.

Esther Smith walks us through a process of how to avoid simply reacting to the thoughts we do not like (often for very good reasons!), showing us instead how to respond with a well-planned mindset that leads us to a quieter mind. 

We often think of examination as a process of searching our hearts for sin. But the goal of discerning our thoughts “is not to simply avoid the evil in this life; it is to learn what is good so that we might embrace and enjoy it.” Yes, one of our goals is to take sinful thoughts captive. But the larger goal of examination is for us to cultivate still and quiet minds filled with enjoyable thoughts that are pleasing to God. (Chapter 1, p. 27)

I find it particularly helpful to begin with listening to the unwanted thoughts to understand them and then pray through those thoughts specifically before God. The temptation to react quickly to an unwanted thought to make the pain it may bring go away leads us away from a deeper dependence on God and an ability to locate Him in the midst of our thoughts. Smith wisely encourages us not to fall into that trap.

Smith’s perspective on thoughts is particularly proactive. She challenges the broader thought world that we live in that often becomes the seedbed where unwanted thoughts grow. It’s an uncomfortable but needed challenge for us to consider how much our reality is shaped by social media and cell phone use to the point of dominating our thought world. 

It’s ironic that we often turn back to technology to alleviate our thought-related problems. Our phones have become “digital pacifiers” that help us to avoid difficult feelings and problematic thoughts. (Ch 3, p. 47)

She invites us into—or back into—the world of Christian meditation as way to reshape our thinking. A conscious reflection both on truth in God’s word as well as the “occasional meditation” on God’s world—the physical experience of living in God’s creation—reset our thoughts to a more restful pace.  As embodied souls, we need both body and soul aligned to transform and renew our minds.

Throughout the book Smith weaves in practical steps in how to pursue a quieter mind. In each concept she covers, she walks us through a step-by-step process of how we might practice this new approach to more fruitful thinking. So, the reader can both learn and do what the book says. To make the best use of the book, it is best to take the time to practice her suggestions rather than just reading for information only.

A Still and Quiet Mind gives a roadmap in how to “repair” thoughts that need to be evaluated and redeemed in light of God’s grace and power. I find this very useful when people realize there is an element of truth in how they think though the thoughts themselves are not healthy or productive. Smith advice on thoughts about trauma are particularly useful since painful traumatic experiences can have a profound impact on the way a person thinks and acts. Though the trauma is real, the mind’s interpretation of it and the thoughts that flow from it may not lead to true and free life. Again, with specifics, she walks the thinker through how to bring steadying truth from God’s promises to bear. In this path, the traumatic experience is not minimized, and God’s power and healing truth become a place where the still and quiet mind can rest.

Making sense of our thoughts is deep work.  It can be a great challenge to discern what is true, what is not, what helps us live well and what holds us captive.  In this book we have a path to travel.  It’s not a quick fix, but it’s faithful to the promise and command to “renew our minds” (Rom. 12:2) that leads to greater freedom and hope.