Right before I reached double digits in age, I suffered through my first major season of anxiety.
Gone were the days of complete innocence in the matter of how day to day life was conducted. I would constantly feel guilty about any past action or strange thought that popped into my head.
I needed to confess any wrongdoing in my life, even if it happened when I was six. That was a whole lot of unnecessary weight to put on my fourth-grade self.
I have always had a strong desire to “play by the rules,” to do what was right. The season came and went, and soon I was a happy kid once again.
The summer of 2018 was the next dramatic case of this anxiety. Rather than being pointed towards the past, I was now worried about the future. Anything that “could be.”
We all have those random, strange thoughts from time to time. Saying to ourselves “if I really wanted to, I could kick my dog,” or “I could easily run into the middle of the road and get smacked by an oncoming truck.”
In my case, I allowed each one of those thoughts scare the life out of me. Every day I would react saying, “why am I thinking that? I do not want to do that, so why did it come to mind?”
This happened back when I was a newly born-again Christian who did not yet understand how a Christian is ought to navigate these thoughts.
We have thousands of thoughts every day, at least 5-7 every few seconds.
If obsessing over past guilt and future worry is not enough, most Christians tend to obsessive over many spiritual aspects of their lives. Christians will obsess over spiritual topics that really are not our right to govern in the first place.
Here are seven ways to identify obsessive spiritual thinking and practices I have used to combat the devil’s hissing in my ear.
#1: Spirit Led VS Led by Feelings
Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
My pastor once said that the Bible is the only worldview which is logically consistent, historically accurate, scientifically valid, and socially and practically livable.
Every other worldview is dominated by the flesh (our selfish, sinful desires).
When we listen to ourselves, deliberately disobeying what God’s word says, we are submitting to an unstable cause that will ultimately come crashing down on top of us.
Our obsessive thinking primarily comes from acting within the flesh, trying to discern every aspect of our current situation for ourselves, believing we know better than or as much as God (we just do not want to admit it).
We must look towards God’s written word first to discern any thought as being useful or not. If it is not useful toward growing in your faith or ministering the kingdom of heaven, it will not amount to anything.
#2: Hyper Spiritualizing
Philippians 4:6-7 ~ “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In Kevin DeYoung’s book “Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach To Finding God’s Will,” the topic of hyper-spiritualizing every life decision appears often.
It is one of the most counter intuitive traps a Christian can fall into preeminent.
We want so desperately to choose the right job, the right place to live, the right person to marry. We make ourselves sick over the fear of choosing incorrectly. Rather, the more biblical approach would be simply to make a choice.
We are not robots; we are free thinkers. God has gifted us with His wisdom, lets utilize it and make a choice and believe God will be there with us through every unknown path.
Christians will obsess over the perfect scenario when God would rather you just pick something and glorify His name in it. Whether you are a missionary, a police officer, a pastor, a janitor, an entrepreneur, or a hairdresser, if you work with Christ in mind, you are making the right choice.
Trust that the Lord will discern your thoughts when necessary. Chances are, you are already on the right track if your main goal is to honor God with your life choices.
As Kevin DeYoung said, “Let’s not spiritualize our inability to make decisions in the quest to discover God’s will.”
If I hyper-spiritualized every aspect of my life, I would not have the wonderful blue-collar job I currently have while doing great writing work on the side.
If I obsessed over “right decision making,” I would have never asked a lovely young lady out to lunch after church, who is now one of my best friends and girlfriend.
Know God’s word and make a choice from there, He is with you in every decision (good or bad). No choice we make can mess up what God’s purpose is for His chosen people.
#3: Being Double Minded
James 1:5-8 ~ “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
To me, this is most clear example from the bible regarding an obsessive mind.
A double minded person will cast all their cares and concerns up to God, and attempt within a day or so to take it all back and do things their own way. All to fumble our plans and blame God for allowing it to happen.
It is a never-ending story, believe me, I have committed this stunt many times in my walk with Christ.
We proclaim our faith in God but doubt His goodness to provide what we need at the right time.
Pastor John Piper describes it well in the Desiring God podcast, episode title, God is Eager to Work for You, “I take it to mean part of us says God is good, God is reliable, God will help me. And part of us is saying no, God is not good. He probably is not going to do any good at all when I pray. And the whole heart says I trust God to be wholly good to me, He is going to give me all the strong help I need to do His will. My heart is not split in half.”
A whole heart after God does not question His good nature toward those who love and seek Him. God is for us, not against us. We need His help; He is not in need of ours.
It is His pleasure to help those who ask. We get wrapped up in this idea that God will not be with us in this because bad things happen to people all the time. That is trying to mesh God’s goodness with the faulty sinfulness of mankind.
When we are tempted to believe that God will not be sufficient for us, let us return to a wise pursuit of wholeheartedness.
#4: Worry VS Concern
Matthew 6:33-34 ~ “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ‘Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’”
Did you know that worry is a sin? Hard pill to swallow but it is true.
From a biblical standpoint, when we worry, we choose to idolize fear and anxiety pointed toward a future occurrence that will most defiantly never happen. Only about 8% of what we tend to worry about in life will be considered a real problem.
Jesus tells us to be still in those problems. From His perspective, we are in no danger when storms come our way.
But there is a difference between being worried and being concerned. Worrying causes obsessive thoughts (there it is again), great anxiety and counter productiveness toward serving the Lord effectively. Showing concern for something or someone reveals thoughtful planning, prayer, and preparation.
See how one is much simpler to describe over the other? Also, did you catch the key difference between the two?
Worry makes life all about us. Our comfort, our desires, they are placed front and center. Concern allows God to take the reins and results in better service to those we love.
So, take every worry (your obsessiveness) and give it all to a God who desires for you to remain calm. Rest assured that He will fulfill His great purposes for you.
#5: Adding Not a Single Ounce
Luke 12:25-26 ~ “And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”
How many times does Jesus have to tell us not to be anxious, worry or obsess before we listen to Him?
I wonder how “frustrated” He must get with us sometimes. We are so blessed that He is patient beyond our measure.
We need to remember that it is a choice to obsess over thoughts and circumstances. This time on earth that you and I receive should not be taken lightly. Not everyone holds the gift of a long life nor one of safety.
Most of what you and I obsess over will result in just wasted time. You get no time back, no energy back. No exact day on the calendar returns to us.
Jesus is telling us that worry is pointless, it adds nothing to the day so why not give all your thoughts to Him (“cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” ~ 1st Peter 5:7).
#6: Whatsoever Things Are...
Philippians 4:8-9 ~ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, 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. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
The verse up above reveals to us the principles which should truly grab our attention.
We should seek continually to involve ourselves in truth. Engage in honorable (respectful) conduct. Walk in purity for God and with other Christians. Anything that is worthy of praise up to the Lord should be your focus, not worry produced by our own fears.
We tend to think of worse case scenarios right away and then, if we are wise, we will chip away the worry.
And what does this scripture above tell us to do? “Think on these things.” Do not obsess over nonsense you cannot control, rather, place your thoughts on what is good and pleasing to God and which honors Christ.
After you think about these titles, it is time to practice them. Little by little, you will notice your worry fading away. This takes time and devotion to growing as a Christian, so take the opportunity and rejoice in the challenging times. They are bound to result in the strengthening of your faith.
#7: Say, “Lord, You Know Best”
1 John 5:14-15 ~ “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request that we have asked of him.”
What has helped me the most when I am stuck in obsessing over matters of my heart is simply stating the truth.
I will lift my eyes to God, reach out my hands and say, “Lord, you know best.”
He sees everything and knows everything, from the beginning of time till the very end. Like Job, we must submit to the might of God and confess that we know little to nothing toward the greater scheme of our current situation (see Job Chapter 42).
If something happens in our lives, it contains meaning and purpose. If something does not happen in our lives, it holds the very same.
The Lord wants us to lean completely on Him. Lifting every thought toward heaven.
Release the guilt, release the worry over to Him. If you seek Christ and accept Him as Lord over your life, you will receive a perfect supply of peace that will never leave.
We are not supposed to hold all wisdom in the palm of our hands. That is why we look to the one perfect being as our guide. Knowing Christ is a continual effort that we should never grow tired of. We press on toward the high calling we have been gifted as sons and daughters of God.
So, when you are tempted to obsess over matters you cannot control, remember two things: First, God is good and will always be good. Second, nothing we do is a surprise to God. One way or another, everything falls into His will and design. Pretty arrogant of us to ever assume our mistakes could mess up His plan for us.