Romans 8 has a nickname: “the Holy Spirit Chapter”! Why? Because in this one special chapter, the Holy Spirit gets mentioned about twenty times! So what does this chapter teach us? It says that when the Holy Spirit is in charge of our minds, we get filled up with “life and peace.”

Here’s a way to picture it. Imagine a clear glass of water with a few drops of dark food coloring swirled into it. Now, how would you get that color out? You could try scooping at it with a spoon, but that won’t work. The color is mixed all the way through. Scooping only stirs it up!

Here’s a better way: put that glass in the sink and turn on the faucet. As clean water pours in, the colored water rises up, spills over the rim, and washes down the drain. Keep the water running, and the glass gets clearer and clearer...until you’re holding a glass of perfectly clean water. You never scooped anything out. You just kept pouring in the good until the bad overflowed!

Your mind works a lot like that glass. Sometimes worry swirls all the way through our thoughts, and telling yourself Just stop worrying! is like scooping with a spoon—it just stirs things up even more! But when you pour God’s truth into your mind (His promises, His love, and His Word), the Holy Spirit fills you up with peace until it pushes the worry right out.

Take Action: Try this at the kitchen sink with a grown-up! Fill a clear glass with water, add a few drops of dark food coloring, and stir until the water gets cloudy. That’s a picture of a mind full of worry! Now set the glass in the sink, turn the faucet on gently, and let clean water pour in. Watch the colored water rise, spill over the rim, and run clearer and clearer...until the glass is completely clean. Remember, when a worried thought starts swirling, don’t scoop at it—pour in the truth instead. Keep pouring until God’s peace overflows!