Take Every Thought Captive: 5 Biblical Ways to Overcome Worry

There is an unseen war waging in our minds.  Sometimes we do see the outpouring of the war in people’s emotions, actions, or words, but sometimes it’s going on without any outward indication of a struggle.  As a teacher and parent I’ve come to understand that a child’s behavior is often a sign or symptom of what is lying beneath the surface but some of us become very skilled at masking our thought life in order to appear ok.          

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul identified the struggles they were facing as a new body of believers.       

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Maybe it can bring us some sense of comfort to know that humankind has been managing this issue for several millennia, but it doesn’t necessarily make it any easier today.  In this post I am hoping that you will find some practical tools and strategies for managing your thought life from day to day.         

Identify your troubling thoughts and ask God for wisdom

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

I cannot emphasize enough how much of an impact prayer journaling has made on my life.  When I was pregnant with my youngest child over a decade ago, I felt compelled to start every morning with quiet time to read my Bible, write in my prayer journal, and prepare for my day.  Little did I know that God was using that time to strengthen me and prepare me for some pretty extraordinary challenges He was later going to call me to face.  

Part of my journaling, although it has changed some over the years, is to take time to recognize things I am thankful for.  I have been an anxious person for as long as I can consciously remember, and before I knew anything about mindfulness I learned that taking quiet time to give thanks was healing for me and helped me be more prepared for my day.  I also use that time to pray for people and situations in my life where I hope for God to intervene or give me guidance.  And finally, I take time to acknowledge specific prayers that God has answered.  

Being able to look back and read all the things that I’ve noticed God doing in my life helps bring me assurance that no matter what I walk through, He will be with me and bring me through it.  This is not to say that He always answers my prayers in the way I want.  Journaling, however, helps me be mindful of the ways He’s worked in my life over the course of time, through all the small and large things I would have otherwise forgotten.  Through journaling I have also come to realize that many of the things that cause me  to worry never actually come to fruition.

Identify which aspects of the challenging thought are true and which are not

Blessed is a person who finds wisdom and one who obtains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her produce better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who hold on to her. (Proverbs 3:13-18)

“She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her…” What a beautiful thought – to be a tree of life to those around you.  More valuable than silver or gold is the practice of finding wisdom and obtaining understanding.  To have the discernment to look closely at our thoughts and distinguish the truth from the lies of the enemy – the ones that say we are not capable, not worthy of good things, not fit for the work of God.  

To be a tree of life to others we must be full of life ourselves, and to do this we must also be full of truth and grace.  Where do we find this?  In the Scripture.  Building a life on a foundation of truth will help you establish the ability to discern what is real and what is not within your thought life in a time when things can be murky.    

Are you a tree of life to those around you?  Do you recognize anyone around you as fitting this description?  Seek out women who embody this title.  Notice how they make you feel, how they manage difficult things, how they speak and post on social media.  

Be present in today: allow yourself to trust that with God will equip you to handle each day as it comes

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34)

It is so easy to become overwhelmed when we try to tackle all of our problems at once, especially when we are trying to solve them mentally and without a plan.  Address the issue of overwhelm by prioritizing things that need your attention.  Ask God for wisdom in how to take things one step and one day at a time.  Be still and listen for answers.  Write down your observations from Scripture.     

Set your mind on things above

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

The pressures of life can be intense.  Managing personal and professional responsibilities can create busy schedules and little time to sit back and reflect on what is truly eternal.  But I would encourage you to pause to think about the eternal implications of your calendar.  All that busyness…to what end? 

We recently took our tween-age son to the calling hours for the father of a family friend.  He’s been fortunate in his life to not have had the experience of losing a close friend or family member during his conscious memory, and had never been to a funeral home before.  We had a conversation on the way about what he would see, how people might act, and how he should respond.  He was very quiet and respectful while we were there, which is what I would have expected of him.  

The conversation we had on the way home was truly precious.  His prior exposure to death was in superhero movies and video games.  He had so many questions, and I didn’t have very many answers.  But it was clear in our conversation that he was processing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of knowing the legacy that a person can leave.  We acknowledged that what truly matters in the end is the soul, that the job, money, house, car, etc., is not what anyone will remember, but rather our impact on the world around us in an eternal sense.         

Turn your focus towards others

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phillipians 2:3-4)

I do not take anxiety lightly.  I would even go so far as to say that I have suffered from anxiety in a crippling sort of way throughout various periods of my life.  There are times, however, when I have begun to recognize that my anxiety can have a great deal to do with having too high a concern for myself.  But I trust that God will care for me.  He even cares for the flowers of the field, of course He cares for me.  Does this mean I will be prevented from experiencing difficulty or suffering?  Most certainly not.  Will He give me what I need to sustain me through any struggle, to the point of death?  He will.    

It’s easy to get focused on ourselves.  We are trained to make sure we are comfortable – be gainfully employed, have plenty of savings, a reliable vehicle, successful kids, lots of friends, and most importantly to make sure it all looks good on social media.  But what if it actually wasn’t about us at all?  If we turn our attention towards others and away from our own comfort it actually really takes the pressure off.  We don’t have to keep up, to fit in, be the right size or shape – it’s not about us anyway!  And this is a wonderful thing to practice through mentoring.  For 45 minutes or an hour you have the opportunity to make the conversation completely about her. There is no pressure on you to be anything other than there for her, helping guide her through Scripture and how it might lead to her spiritual growth.     

What are your go to Bible verses to overcome worry and anxiety?  Do you have any other strategies that you find helpful?  Share in the comments.