Letting Go of Intrusive Thoughts and Finding PeaceSample

How to Deal with Worry and Fear

What thoughts are taking control over our heart and life right now? Usually intrusive thoughts come with an anxious spirit. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so that we could live a life free of not just guilt but also crippling worry. 

Regardless if our struggle is over something “small,” or even as big as questioning our salvation, we can find rest and peace in Jesus. From Ephesians 2 we see that Jesus is our peace. This means that He is the one who establishes peace in our very lives through His death, burial, and resurrection.

 If we are trying to establish our own peace, then we are often leaning into idols and other things that will ultimately fail us. Our only lasting pathway to peace is to go back to the cross. Jesus saved us and offers us His peace in our daily lives. He has already done all the work; we just need to submit to His rest. 

Peace comes from us trusting in what Jesus has done for us. Trust is how we grow in our walk with the Lord. Whenever a thought comes along to pull us into an endless cycle of worry, we need to stop in the moment of our fear and bring it back under the authority of Christ. We may have to literally take the thought captive and pray to God, asking him to direct our minds away from the cycle. 

We have to pause in the moment of the thought and redirect our mind. In the beginning, we may find ourselves doing this quite frequently, as we re-train our hearts and minds to focus not on our circumstances, but on the Lord.  This is not an easy task, but He is so worth the effort! Remember Christ is our true peace, and only He can sustain and help us navigate our restless minds. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you that you have already done everything so that I can have peace in my heart and mind. Please help me to learn how to accept and keep your peace in my heart. Show me how to take each unwanted thought captive to you in obedience so that I do not put on worry and fear. In Jesus name, Amen.