Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons why we should not overthink things

The Danger of Overthinking
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

—2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

The other day I caught myself thinking about a particular topic for an extended period of time. 

Not only did I think about it for a few moments, but I also hung on to that thought, and then that thought led me to think about other thoughts that were unrelated to my original thought. By the time I snapped out of it, I realized how unproductive it was to sit there thinking about the same thing and not even come to a conclusion.

I often wonder how many others suffer from overthinking—dwelling on a thought repeatedly and then allowing that thought to needlessly consume your time.

There are numerous reasons why people tend to overthink. People are genuinely afraid of making the wrong decision. Once they start overthinking, they are intimidated by all of the possibilities to consider. Instead of making a decision, they would prefer not to have that responsibility, so they just let someone else deal with it.

Another reason for overthinking is fear of failure. If it’s a business venture, opportunity, or a fork in the road, people will overthink it to the point of talking themselves out of it. In the end, they never pursue their dream.

Overthinking can be self-destructive. The root cause can be traced back to insecurity, low self-esteem, stress and worry. If overthinking gets out of control, it can become a hindrance to your life, your relationships with people, and even your relationship with God.

The good news is that God gives us a solution to overthinking in His Word (The Holy Bible). He wants us to surrender all of our worries to Him and allow Him to solve our problems. He cares about everything that concerns us and He has mercy on us when we are wrestling with our relentless thoughts. He doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything. Instead, He wants us to experience peace that surpasses all human understanding. We never have to fear when we allow God to take control.

The next time you start to overthink, turn your thoughts over to God, and watch Him make a difference in your life.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, Grant us peace and calm our troubled minds. Send Your Holy Spirit to abide with us, so that we may think on things that are of You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Anxious Heart” by Jeremy Camp. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn (New York) and raised in New Jersey.

 

She started writing at an early age and realized in elementary school that it was both a strength and a passion. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled Just When I Thought I Knew God, and she is currently working on another devotional book that will be introduced in 2023.

This is Angela's third year as a devotional writer for Alexis A. Goring’s “God is Love” blog. In 2021, Angela was a winner of a devotional writing contest where the entry is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book is titled, Hope When Your Heart is Heavy. The following year, another one of Angela’s devotionals was published in another publication from Proverbs 31 Ministries, called Living Unbroken.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing and speaking.

Angela is a Mom Life Coach. She empowers mothers who want to identify their God-given purpose and live it fully while taking care of their family. Angela develops mothers into mompreneurs by providing them with the necessary tools to be successful and fulfilled in life. These tools equip them to see their value, understand their importance, and reclaim their identity.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson for 18 years. Together they have two sons: Thomas (age 10) and Ryan (age 5). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling.

She treasures spending quality time with her family.

~*~
Connect with Angela:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/
Facebook (personal): https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook (Author page): https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Angela offers free consultations for mothers who want to pursue their dream while taking care of their family. Schedule here: www.ChatWithCoachAngela.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How to free your mind from negative thoughts

Captive Thoughts
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

My mother died 22 years ago, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Yesterday, while driving, I realized that I was descending into a grief spiral and depression. I didn’t want to go there. I started thinking of ways to stop the spiral. My brain searched for ways to meet the command I had given it.

Soon, four Bible verses and some literary quotes blazed into my mind.

The first one was Proverbs 23:7 (KJV). It says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” So many of our negative perspectives are like jails and our minds are prisoners of our thoughts.

A second verse that quickly pierced my thought stream was 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV). It says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We can fight with and win release from stinking thinking.

The third arrow of light that pierced the enveloping darkness around me was written by Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich. He said, “The individual must control his deepest perceptions of himself lest he be overwhelmed by the forces of negativism and defeat in those around him.”

My soul, defying the gravitational pull of despair, began to soar again.

The point here is that God has given us strong minds. Almost everyone experiences fleeting thoughts of fear, malice, insufficiency and/or ideas that are incongruent with the bedrock principles that inform and guide our lives. Those thoughts are fleeting because they just don’t fit. Those that linger and become delusions or fantasies must be handled much more aggressively. 

They must be combatted, vigorously.

Reasoning and discussion will not suffice. Like weeds in a garden, those thoughts must be met with destructive intent. The emotional constructs that underlie our lusts and weaknesses must meet the wrecking balls of faith, conviction and submission. The deconstruction of sinful thoughts is combat. If there are survivors, they must become captors, prisoners of war. They must be confined, reeducated and redirected. We do this by our knowledge of Christ, His will and His word.

The fourth beacon of light God brought to my memory was 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV), “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” In preparation for those inevitably challenging moments, we must fill our memories with positivity, optimism and words of assurance.

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the willingness to persevere with mission focus, even in the face of fear. Such as these examples from the Bible: Noah built a ship before it had ever rained. Moses faced the most formidable king and army of his era with a simple wooden staff. Joshua led his army with the bold assurance from God that he would not fail. David’s flaws and sins were evident to his entire kingdom, yet his humility and ultimate submission to God became his life plan and legacy. He was a man after God’s own heart. 

Whether you are a man, woman, boy or girl, you too can achieve, overcome, thrive and become legendary in your sphere of influence. A spark, a match, a flame, a flashlight or torch of faith and optimism can alter the flow of depression, negativity and self-doubt.

Please accept two more powerful cliches that helped me. Both are from Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the holocaust in Germany. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves…Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”

You still have the power of choice. Choose life!

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

Please bless the people reading these words today. Bless them with spiritual faith and fiber. Let Your Light shine into their darkness and cause their souls to soar, just like you did for me. If they are happy and already soaring, bless them with an opportunity to let the light that you have loaned to them, shine into someone else’s life.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Choose Life” by Big Tent Revival. Listen to this song here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Paul Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Making a Joyful Noise drives away negativity

Make a Joyful Noise
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” – Psalm 100:1-2 (ESV)

Have you ever been slammed with worries and negative thoughts?

I have.

Sometimes I get woken up in the middle of the night, thoughts of my ever growing to do list keeping me from rest. In the mornings before I dive into my quiet time, negative thoughts attack as I prepare to sit down with the Lord.

Sometimes I forget that I am in a battle. The enemy wants to destroy us and to do that, he’ll go after us in our minds. Those negative thoughts and emotions can be so strong that they cause us to forget that we are children of God, we are loved and we need not to worry about what comes.

I forget that the Lord has equipped us all with weapons to defeat the enemy. The ones He is always reminding me to use is worship and praise. When we sing to God, hell trembles. Darkness flees. The enemy shakes; he hates it. He can’t stand to be near it.

In the middle of another attack on my mind, the Lord whispered to me: “You’re being attacked. I want you to sing.”

Immediately I began to sing. The worries and stress that had such a hold on my mind began to lift. I felt lighter, freer. Soon my worries were gone as I was wrapped in praise and worship for my God.

Friend, praise and worship is such a powerful weapon. There are many instances in the Bible were praise and worship were used to change negative situations into more positive outcomes:

For freedom: Paul and Silas singing praises to God were rescued by an angel while imprisoned in Acts 16:25-34 (ESV)

As a weapon: Joshua and the Israelites defeat Jericho in Joshua 6 ... Jehoshaphat defeated Moab and Ammon without a fight in 2 Chronicles 20:18-23 (ESV)

When we praise God through song, we remind ourselves and the enemy who’s in charge. We remember all the things that the Lord has done for us. We remember how much we are loved by God. Instead of being filled with worry and anger, we become filled with gratitude and love for our God.

We cannot be wrapped up in ourselves or our problems if we are lifting our voices in praise to God. It doesn’t matter if you can carry or tune or not, our praise, our worship is beautiful to Him.

So the next time you find yourself being attacked by the enemy, lift your voice in song to the Lord. He will flee and you will have victory.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and launched her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com