Moving Beyond AnxietySample

You Are What You Think 

Anxiety is at an all-time high. The coronavirus pandemic has only added fire to an already enormous problem.

In dealing with anxiety, always remember that it’s an emotion, albeit a very destructive one. 

But emotions don’t happen by fiat. They are rooted in what we think. Think about the phrase many of our mothers taught us: “Garbage in, garbage out.” If your thought life is full of worry, you will have a worry-filled life. Conversely, less worry equals more peace.

Paul exhorted his audience to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). As bad thoughts begin to enter your mind, don’t let them in. It is your choice. No one manages your thought life but you. Spear them as they enter, and rigorously usher them out of your mind. You must be able to do so, or the Bible wouldn’t tell you to do it.

Follow another Pauline principle as well: “Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).  Paul adjured his readers to focus on what brings life, not death.

Here is yet another great maxim from mothers: “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” You can’t keep bad, negative, and fear-filled thoughts from coming into your mind. But you can choose whether to let them remain there. That is your choice.

One final thought: Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me” (John 14:1). He clearly stated that we are the ones who allow our hearts to be troubled or not. 

But Jesus doesn’t leave us desperate and hopeless. He gave us the antidote for troubled hearts: Faith. Trust. Belief. Surrender every thought to the One who created us and controls all.

Anxiety will abate the more we focus on the One who loved, cared, and died on the cross for us. Worry will cease when we replace anxious thoughts with ones that are absolutely certain that Jesus will take care of us. 

As the coronavirus looms large, don’t despair.  Believe that every anxiety is in Jesus’s sovereign grasp. It is not surprising Him. He oversees all, this virus as well.

Believe this profound truth today, and watch worry flee.