Reframe Your Thinking

God’s command for us to not worry is not only for our own good, but the good of others as well. This is because worry is a poor witness to other people. If we're always anxious or worried about something in our lives, we become a slave to fear and no longer are behaving with the confidence that we should have as a child of God. “It is well with my soul” no longer applies when we consistently showing the opposite by being stressed and anxious about the unknown. When we're strong and courageous, it inspires others to do the remarkable. But when we're weak and cowardly, it destroys our witness and creates a barrier for other people to believe.  The primary reason that worry is a sin is that worry is an insult to God. In Matthew 6:25-27, Jesus says in the Sermon of the Mount: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” When we are anxious, we demonstrate to God and others that we do not trust that God will care and provide for us as he states he will in Scripture. God always keeps on his promises, and we can trust with complete certainty that he will provide and deliver what we need, even if it isn’t how we were expecting. Reflection/Discussion Question: Where or when in your life do you most struggle with feeling anxious?

Living in the moment is a practical and biblical step that we can all take in order to help us overcome anxiety and live with more peace. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We need to appreciate today, because today may be all you've been given. We need to focus on today, even when the world constantly pulls us to worry about what might come next. We have to choose to rejoice in our present blessings and live in the moment. The troubles and worries of this world came seem overwhelming and never-ending at times. But, as Christ-followers, we have the hope of Heaven and eternity with Jesus to fix our minds on. By focusing our thoughts on what is to come for us, instead of what we are currently enduring, we can have a different perspective on situations and that enables us to view the things that cause us anxiety in a different light. 2 Corinthians 4:18 states, "So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” With an eternity in Heaven with no more suffering or worries as the focal point of your thoughts, your mindset on things of this world can shift from anxiety to peace. Our Heavenly Father has promised that he will never leave you or forsake you. The Lord is near you. So, we quiet our hearts and ask God to give us a peace that passes our human understanding. Reflection/Discussion Question: How does your perspective on your current struggles change when you focus on your eternity?

How do we fill our minds with that which is good, pure, and right? How do we fill our minds with the spirit of God? There are some biblical and practical steps that we can take to help transform our thinking from anxiety to peace. First, memorize scripture. There is nothing more true, noble, right, and pure than the Word of God. Psalm 119:11 tells us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” There are countless stories of people who have overcome addictions, struggles, and anxiety because they memorized the Scripture that they could recall in difficult times. When you find yourself filled with anxiety, quote Scripture that you have dedicated to your memory.  Secondly, face the worst. Face the worst, and trust that God will strengthen you to endure. Now, this may sound contradictory because the Bible says to think about what is good. But when you think about the possibility of the bad happening, face the worst with a positive assurance that God will sustain you through it, even if it occurs. Notice how many times in Scripture people did exactly that; think of the responses of Job, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, David, and even Jesus when they faced the worst.  Faith is not confidence that God is going to do exactly what you ask him to do. Faith is the confidence that God is going to do what is best for you in the end.  Reflection/Discussion Question: What is a verse or passage from Scripture that you remind yourself of when you are feeling anxious?

Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we at our disposal against anxiety. Psalm 107:28-30 tells us that: “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” Prayer is our direct connection to God, where we can have deep, hard, and intimate conversations with him about what we are going through and what may be tempting us to feel anxious. If you need a place to start in prayer or just feel like you need to reset your prayer life, you can start by simply carving out 15 minutes every morning to spend with God before you do anything else. Get in a secluded place where you know you're not going to be interrupted, get down in your knees, and just thank God for yesterday for seeing you through everything. Then you present today and ask God to anoint you for today in each encounter that you anticipate. And remember, there's nothing going to happen today that you and the Lord can't handle together.  In everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God with intensity and confidence. Make your prayer with thanksgiving. There's something extremely therapeutic about first giving God thanks before you present your prayer requests. When you pray with thanksgiving, your thinking and your attitude are transformed because you're mindful of how God has provided for you to this point, and you become confident he will provide for the next day. Reflection/Discussion Questions: Do you begin your prayers with thanksgiving before presenting your requests? How might switching this order impact things?