Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind (20 page)

Just as it was natural for Sandra to do what she could to try to fix the problem, it is only natural to do the same thing with our problems. We would not be responsible if we did not look for solutions at all. Considering our situation and what to do about it is one thing, but focusing on it is quite another. We can concentrate on our problems to the point that we often fail to notice or consider other things that we should notice. For example, it is important to count our blessings during challenging times because it keeps us from getting discouraged. We can focus on what needs to be done so much that we fail to see what God has done. If you are being tempted to worry about something right now, take time to write down all your blessings you can think of and it will help you not get overwhelmed by the problem.

When we have problems, we should do what we can do and not worry about what we cannot do. As my husband always says, “Do your responsibility and cast your care.”

Whatever we focus on becomes bigger and bigger in our minds. It is possible for a thing to seem much larger to us than it really is. When we worry, we focus on our problems; we continually roll them over and over in our minds, which is like meditating on them. When we are anxious about things, we also talk about them incessantly because what is in our hearts eventually comes out of our mouths (see Matthew 12:34). The more we think and talk about our problems, the larger they become. A relatively small matter can grow into a huge issue merely because we focus on it too much. Instead of meditating on the problem, we can meditate on the faithfulness of God and remind ourselves there is no need to worry.

We can spend all our time thinking and talking about what is wrong in the world or we can choose to concentrate on good things. We can focus on what is wrong with a family member, friend, or coworker or we can purposely look for and highlight what is right. If ten things are wrong and we only see two we feel are right, we can make the two seem larger than the ten by what we choose to concentrate on. This is a good time to remind yourself that you can choose your own thoughts. I have heard many people say, “I just can’t help it; I am a worrier.” The truth is that they chose to worry because they did not know how to trust God. We become good at worrying because we practice it and we can also become good at trusting God if we practice it. Let your first response in any situation be to trust God, not to worry. Speak out loud and say, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!”

Satan, the enemy of our souls, does not want us to grow in faith; he wants us to be filled with worry, anxiety, and fear. He works hard to distract us from God by encouraging an excessive focus on our circumstances. We should develop a habit of letting what is in our heart become more real to us than what we see, think, or feel. My heart knows I can trust God completely, but my head often tells me to worry. If Satan can get us to think about what is wrong or what could go wrong with a situation, he can keep us from being able to focus on trusting God. This is why Hebrews 12:2 instructs us to look away from all that distracts us to Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. If we look to God, think about Him, and speak of His goodness, we focus on faith and as we use our faith, we find that it grows. Little faith can become great faith through use. As we take steps to trust God, we experience His faithfulness and that, in turn, encourages us to have greater faith. As our faith develops and grows, our problems have less power over us and we worry less.

We can choose to think about what God can do instead of what we cannot do. If we continually think about the difficulty of our situation we may end up in despair and that means we feel unable to find a way out. We feel trapped and then it is easy to panic and begin to do irrational things that only make the problem worse. The Bible tells us that God always provides the way out (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Even though you might not see the way out right now, one does exist and God will reveal it as you trust Him.

Think about It

What situation are you facing right now that you can choose to trust God with instead of worrying?

Another Form of Worry

Most of the time, we think of worry as another word for “anxiety” or as a way of describing excessive concern that often involves a good deal of emotion. But worry in its commonly understood sense is not the only expression of anxiety. Another form of worry is called reasoning, which takes place when we think about something over and over, trying to figure out what happened, trying to understand what people were thinking, or trying to decide what to do in a situation. Reasoning causes confusion and can easily make us vulnerable to deception. Trust requires some unanswered questions, and being satisfied to know that God knows what we don’t know. We know in part, but God knows everything. He is never surprised or without a solution.

I find that I can ponder a situation and sometimes find answers or arrive at conclusions by doing so. However, if I think about it so long that I start feeling frustrated and confused, I know I have gone too far. It is even possible through reasoning to come up with a plan you
think
is right but, in fact, will never work. The Bible calls these man-made plans “works of the flesh.” They take up our time, but keep us in the realm of self-effort and pride. They produce no good fruit, but they certainly keep us busy. We can literally spend years of our life with such man-made plans and never get around to realizing that only God can do what needs to be done. Don’t waste your think time, but instead use it on power thoughts that agree with God’s Word. God will not go to work until we turn our problems over to Him. He is a gentleman and does not interfere without invitation. The Bible refers to this simply by saying that we “have not” because we “ask not” (see James 4:2).

When I write about the uselessness of reasoning, I am not suggesting we become passive and never try to do anything to help ourselves solve our problems. A passive mind is one that is open ground for the devil to occupy. We need to be active in the right way. Ephesians 6:13 teaches that when we face problems, we are to do all the crisis demands and then stand firmly in our place. We certainly need to do what we believe is right and what we have peace about doing, but we shouldn’t frustrate ourselves trying to do what we cannot do.

For example, when we want to see changes in someone we love, the best policy is to pray first and only take action if and when God directs us to. We can do a lot of damage to relationships by trying to change people. We may feel we are just trying to help but if the person doesn’t see what you see or if they don’t want to change, they may feel pressured and rejected. Timing is very important when discussing potentially touchy subjects, so if we pray first and wait on God, it always works out better. I can pray, but I cannot make a human being want to change. Only God can work inside a person’s heart. If I continue trying to do what only God can do, I will make myself miserable.

I was a person who wanted to understand everything because it made me feel that I was in control. I was not good at “not knowing.” My mind went on and on all day with thoughts like,
Why did I act like that? I wonder what so-and-so is thinking about my decision to buy a new car? Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet for a promotion at work? I wonder if I am doing something wrong or don’t have enough faith?
The whys in my mind seemed to never cease and they made me miserable. My mind was home to all sorts of uninvited guests (tormenting thoughts) simply because I never said “no” to them.

I wondered, reasoned, worried, fretted, imagined, and was anxious to the point where it left me completely exhausted at the end of most days. God actually showed me that I was addicted to reasoning and that I had to give it up. It didn’t happen overnight, but each time I started my mental gymnastics I said, “I will not worry or try to figure this out,” and gradually I was able to trust God with my life.

Think about It

Are you prone to reasoning? Remember, reasoning is a form of worry, so next time you start to reason, stop and decide to trust God to figure out everything for you.

Get Some Rest

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” Jesus wants to ease our burdens and give us rest.
The Message
says it this way: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28–30).

Living freely and lightly in the “unforced rhythms of grace” sounds good, doesn’t it? I’m sure you have had enough “heavy stuff” in your life. I have too, and I want to be free. It’s nice to know we don’t have to worry about things, figure out everything, or carry the burdens in our lives. It is actually quite refreshing to realize that I don’t need to know everything about everything! We need to get comfortable with saying, “I don’t know the answer to this dilemma and I’m not going to worry about anything because God is in control, and I trust Him. I’m going to rest in Him and live freely and lightly!” When we’re overloaded with the cares of life—struggling, laboring, and worrying—we need a mental and emotional vacation. Our minds need to rest from thinking about how to take care of problems, and our emotions need to rest from being upset. Worry isn’t restful at all. In fact, it steals rest and the benefits of rest from us. So next time you feel you are carrying a heavy load in your mind or you find yourself worried and anxious, remember, you can live freely and lightly. All you have to do is rest in God. If someone should ask you what you are going to do about your problem, you can tell them that you are letting your mind have a break and you’re not thinking about it right now.

Think about It

Do you need a mental and emotional rest? How can you put your mind at rest today?

Release the Weight of Worry

It is one thing to know that we should not worry, but it is quite another to stop worrying. One of the things that helped me let go of worry was finally realizing how utterly useless it was. Let me ask you some questions: How many problems have you solved by worrying? How much time have you spent worrying about things that never even happened? Has anything ever gotten any better as a result of your worrying about it? Of course not! The Bible is full of sound, proven advice for dealing with worry. For example, the apostle Paul teaches us to be anxious for nothing, but in all circumstances to let our prayer requests be known to God with thanksgiving (see Philippians 4:6). He then encourages us by saying that the peace of God will fill our hearts and minds (see Philippians 4:7).

The instant you begin to worry or feel anxious, give your concern to God in prayer. Release the weight of it and totally trust Him to either show you what to do or to take care of it Himself. Prayer is a powerful force against worry. I’m reminded of an old gospel chorus called, “Why Worry When You Can Pray?” When you’re under pressure, it’s always best to pray about it instead of fret about it or talk about it.

Prayer is the blueprint for a successful life. During His time on earth, Jesus prayed. He entrusted everything to God—even His reputation and life. We can do the same. Don’t complicate your communication with God. Just have confidence in simple, believing prayer.

Think about It

What do you need to be praying about instead of worrying about in your life right now?

You Have a Choice to Make

Worry can easily be a bad habit—one that is deeply rooted and won’t be easily gotten rid of. For this reason, people tend to think,
I have tried not to worry and I just cannot seem to help it.
I’ve had that thought before, and have found that filling my mind with good thoughts is easier than trying to empty it of negative ones. If you follow the power thoughts plan and keep your mind full of good thoughts, there will be no room for the bad. I am very excited for you to see what will happen in your life as you change your thinking. Paul encouraged believers in Christ to “walk in the Spirit” so we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). In simple terms, this means that if we stay busy doing what is right, there will be no room to do what is wrong. As humans, we tend to fight with the negative rather than embrace the positive, but that can easily be changed as we walk in the Spirit. Say it right now: “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!”

Another thing that is very helpful to me is to take action quickly. As soon as I start to worry about a situation, I say, “No, I am not going to worry, because it does no good.” Remember to resist the devil at his onset. The longer you wait the more difficult it may be. Once a wrong thinking pattern takes root in your life, it is more difficult to change it, so “action” is the secret to success. Knowledge alone does no good, we must take action and do what we know to do.

You may be wondering how to “walk in the Spirit” in your practical, everyday life. Let me help you by providing you with four sets of choices you can make. In each instance, worry represents walking in the flesh and the other option represents walking in the Spirit. If you want to walk in the Spirit, you have to make a choice. Will you worry or will you worship? Will you worry or will you put your faith and trust in God? Will you worry or will you obey God’s Word? Will you worry about yourself by thinking,
What is going to happen to me,
or will you deposit yourself with God and purposely be a blessing to someone else?

Worry or Worship?

Worry and worship are polar opposites, and we would be much happier if we learned to become worshippers instead of worriers. Worry creates an opportunity for the enemy to torment us, but worship (reverence and adoration of God) leads us into His presence, where we will always find peace, joy, and hope. God created us to worship Him, and I don’t believe we can overcome the pressures and temptations in our lives if we don’t become worshippers.