Prescription for Anxiety: Take As Directed Step 1

Peace! Isn't that what we all crave? There's a little peace of mind then there's a little piece of mind. There was a time in my life where I gave a little piece of my mind to everyone who crossed me...in fact, I gave away so many pieces, there isn't much left. But, what I really needed was a little PEACE of mind.
According to Webster's dictionary, peace is freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts. There are two words that strike me in that definition: the word freedom and the word thoughts. If peace is freedom in our thoughts, then it would stand to reason that anxiety is bondage in our thoughts. Have you ever stopped to think about what you're thinking about? Did you know that if you do not take your thoughts into captivity, your thoughts will take you into captivity?
According to the Bible, we are to be disciplined in our thought life. II Corinthians 10:5 says "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
I love to visualize things and when I read this verse, I think of a movie called Monsters, Inc. A silly kids movie, I know. But I always picture the scene where a monster just returned from a scare mission in a child's bedroom. He turned around and there on his back was a contaminate...do you remember what it was? A child's sock! Somehow, this was considered toxic to their environment, and everyone who saw it went into panic mode. A whole team came in and isolated the item. They covered it with some kind of dome, screwed it to the ground and detonated a bomb which blew it to smithereens!
Just like the sock in the monster's environment, contaminated thoughts can be toxic in the environment of our hearts and minds. We must take those thoughts into captivity and then give it what I call "the thought test". We find this "thought test" in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if is praise worthy, think on "these things".
See how that verse is worded as a command? It is instructing us to be purposeful and make it a point to think on "these things". It takes practice...we are in the habit of negative thinking and we have to learn to develop healthy, godly thinking habits. And it's not good enough, when times are hard, to "check out" and pretend that things aren't bothering us or to try to ignore the issues. Anxious people think...There is no way I can pay all my bills this month...I'm too tired to do all of this... I'm too overwhelmed to tackle all that is before me...Nothing ever works out for me...This is bound to end in disaster. Happy, peaceful people think...My God shall supply all of my needs...I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength...He will establish my thoughts...I know He is working all things for my good.
You see...how we think affects the way we feel emotionally and how we feel emotionally affects the way we feel physically. You can actually convince yourself to be sick.
I remember a specific incident where I was standing in the shower crying out to God. I was overwhelmed in my heart and the tears I had cried could have filled the bathtub. I kept saying, "God, I can't do it! What you are asking of me is too hard. I just can't do it!" The Holy Spirit brought back the verse to my mind and it was like God said, "Danielle, quit saying I can't and start saying I CAN do it through Christ because He gives me strength!" I did say it and I believed it and do you know, He did give me the strength! What victory...what peace! Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This literally means, guard your thought life, (what you think about and meditate on) because this is the command center for everything in your life.
Step 1 to obtaining peace: Take your thoughts into captivity and make it a point to think on "these things" found in Philippians 4:8.
Watch for tomorrow's blog for Step 2.