Sandra McCracken used to end many of her days by thinking about the things she wished she’d said or not said. She’s certainly not alone in that. Psychologists refer to these internal replays as rumination, which is linked to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Studies also show that women ruminate more often than men.
The field of psychology isn’t the only place where rumination is a topic of discussion. In fact, it’s become the subject of a trope on social media, leading to tweets and TikToks that say something like “Don’t mind me, just observing my weekend ritual of cringing over everything I said at a party tonight.” Rumination, it seems, is trending.
“God made us to remember, because we are made like him,” writes McCracken in a recent CT article. “He remembers us and understands both our potential and our limits (Ps. 103:14). Inversely and mercifully, God can lessen the intensity or frequency of our memories of trauma or regret. He can loosen the power they hold over us as he renews our minds (Rom. 12:2).”
Whether we find ourselves rehashing a dinnertime discussion or hung up on memories from decades ago, God is in the business of healing our minds. It may take a lifetime, and we are sure to struggle along the way. But perhaps in remembering that our minds are precious to God and that he cares for them, we will begin to find our rumination replaced with redemption.
