“Let God Change the Way You Think…”
Some time ago, I was struggling with anxiety. I was constantly worrying about the future, feeling overwhelmed by the cares of this world, trying to make things happen, and fearing I wasn’t doing enough for the Lord. I had no sense of His peace. I was making myself miserable, and I didn’t know how to stop. What happened next was birthed out of desperation. It was this prayer.
“Lord, I know these feelings are not from You. How can I get my brain to think the way You want it to think?”
The Lord brought to my attention some verses He wanted me to read and told me to focus on them every day for a season. I expected this season to last a few weeks or months before the Lord would lead me to something else. Here I am four years later, and the season is still going. It has changed my life.
I believe this is because when we begin to get the truth of God’s Word deep within us, it rewires the way we respond. In the next page or so, I’m going to share the verses the Lord wanted me to concentrate on and then give observations as to what I believe has changed in me.
Matthew 6:33-34 (NLT)
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Observations:
I endeavor to view life from an eternal perspective. The news, the tragedies, the disappointments of this life have an effect on me, but I do not let them steal my peace.
I still fall short in the “living righteously” category, but I’m not discouraged because I know my heart is drawn to His ways. There is a hunger within me to live on His terms.
I’m learning to be more thankful.
I think about tomorrow, but I don’t lose sleep over it.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Observations:
When the things of life become heavy, I try to go to Him right away. The moment I do, I have a sense of peace and rest.
Regardless of the challenges of the day, I know that He is with me and will help me sort them out.
As I spend time with Him, I discover His humbleness and gentleness of heart is infectious.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Observations:
I don’t trust myself as much as I used to. This is not a shift toward insecurity, but a shift toward looking more to God.
I am growing in humility—slower than I’d like—but I’m getting there.
Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Observations:
The world has less of a hold on me. I’ve lost interest in many of the things that used to captivate my attention.
I look forward to reading the Scriptures. Not necessarily reading a lot, but really thinking about what I do read and resting in those promises.
As I go about my day, I view my role as more or less tagging along with God. I see Him working in people wherever I go. I sense His favor when ministering to others. But I sense He is the one doing the heavy lifting. It’s not up to me.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Observations:
Many things in life can affect me to the point of frustration for a time, but these frustrations no longer endure. What used to take me a long time to get over—days, even weeks sometimes—is most of the time gone when I wake up the next morning.
I talk a lot to God about everything. I am in conversation with Him in my head almost continually. When I mellow out and take a moment to listen, the phrase “be thankful” comes to mind often. As soon as I act on that instruction, I experience His peace.
Perhaps your challenges are not the same as mine. Regardless of what they are though, I bet the Lord has an answer for you, and I bet it’s somewhere in Scripture. If you know you need to change some of the ways you think, I highly recommend talking it over with the Lord, finding the verses He leads you to, and then start reading them once a day. If you let them, they will change your life.