Freedom from Anxiety

My mind runs man. Usually to places that aren’t the greatest. Like assuming the worst about people or situations that I really don’t have any information about. Sometimes I’ll even have whole arguments with people in my head, then get angry cause the argument didn’t go my way.

You might not take it to that level, but I think we all have the tendency to let our mind wander or our imagination run away with us. Positive or negative, we could all use help managing our thought life.

Philippians 4:5–9 NLT

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Anxiety is at an all time high, but it’s nothing new. God’s people have dealt with worry and anxiety forever. That is why God uses Paul to address it here. This isn’t a list of different types of thoughts to dwell on. These are 6 criteria to pass every thought through before you decide to keep it or throw it out. You know that you can do that, right? You can throw out thoughts and ideas that aren’t healthy for you.

You have more power, more control that you think. Actually, you have exactly how much you think you do. Your mind is powerful, but it was also created by a loving and perfect God. He knows how it works. God never tells us to do something that is impossible. It might be hard, but not impossible.