Stay on the Right Train
This morning’s devotional hit me right between the eyes. The author told a story about getting on the wrong train—literally. She was already running late for an important exam, and in her rush, she jumped on a train heading in the opposite direction. No chance of turning around in time. She was going to miss it.
Do you ever feel like that? Not physically, maybe, but mentally? Like your thoughts are barreling down the tracks in the wrong direction, and you’re just sitting there, watching the landscape of anxiety, frustration, and discouragement fly by outside the window?
That was me today.
And apparently, God wanted to make sure the message stuck because I was tested on it all day long. I’d love to say I read that devotional, got inspired, and floated through the day on a cloud of faith. Nope. It was like every conversation, every situation, even the weather—all of it challenged me to see if I’d stay on the right mental track.
I caught myself slipping more than once. The constant bad weather has been wearing me down, and I quickly feel stuck. I found myself boarding the train of “here we go again,” the train of discouragement, and the train of “will this season ever change?”
But then I remembered something from last year when I visited New York. While we were there, we made full use of the subway system. If you’ve ever been, it’s chaos for the untrained eye—so many lines. There are so many directions. Uptown, downtown, express, local. If you're not paying attention, you can easily hop on the wrong train and end up way off course. But here’s the key: just because one train pulls up doesn’t mean it’s the one you have to take. There are options. And it's the same with our thoughts.
It might feel like there’s only one mental route to take—like frustration or fear are the only trains running—but they’re not. There is always a healthier, holier train pulling in. There’s always a biblical way to think about what you’re facing. It may not be the loudest or flashiest train, but it’s there. And if we can pause long enough to check the signs, we can choose the one that leads to peace.
Philippians 4:8 lays it out clearly:
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… think about such things.”
That’s your route map.
Romans 12:2 reminds us:
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
And 2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
God doesn’t just tell us to “do better” with our thinking He gives us tools to actually redirect our mental trains. That’s grace.
Now, did I master it today? Not even close. But I saw it. I caught it. And even in the middle of the frustration, God gave me little moments that brought me back on track—like dinner and a short walk with Venessa tonight. It was nothing fancy, but it was real. And it helped reset me.
Let Me Leave You With This
You might feel like your mind only has one direction to go today, one default reaction. But just like the New York subway, there are always other trains. Not every thought is meant to be ridden. Not every emotion deserves a roundtrip ticket. You get to choose. And God gives you the wisdom to pick the route that leads to peace.
So next time that thought shows up—the one that leads to fear, frustration, or hopelessness—ask yourself: Is this the right train? And if it’s not, let it pass. Another one’s coming.
Let’s keep our eyes on the truth and our minds on Christ because that’s where the real destination lies.