What does the Bible say?
Most people don’t realize that the Bible gives us solutions to every issue we will ever have in our lives.
Overthinking is an issue we all have these days. I know when covid happened there were a lot of people who were overthinking and causing people anxiety and stress. But any kind of situation that concerns us can cause us to overthink.
King David describes the stress of overthinking in Psalm 6 where he writes that “My soul is in deep anguish” and “I am worn out from my groaning” yet he celebrates God’s intervention to help him in 6:9 “The Lord had heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”
Psalm 42:5 sheds light on how overthinking is harmful for the soul and presents a solution to that problem: “Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”
Jesus addresses exhaustion that comes from life’s stresses, including overthinking, in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls; For me yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Here is Jesus encouraging you to find relief from overthinking and all other stress through a relationship with Him.
Colossians 3:2 urges, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” The Bible assures us that it’s possible to take control of your thoughts. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul writes, “We demolish agreements and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” it’s by taking every one of our thoughts captive that we can fight off overthinking and find peace of mind.
While overthinking is a challenging issue to deal with, the Bible offers us power so that we can experience peace of mind.
I have been an over-thinker all my life. Learning from the Bible has taught me to calm myself down and reduce this to a minimum. Here are a few tactics I use,
- Ask The Holy Spirit To Renew Your Mind
Romans 12;2 advises us “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” When we overthink our minds can get stuck in a pattern of repeating thoughts that do more harm the good. We can fight it off by asking the Holy Spirit to renew our minds regularly. The Holy Spirit will help you at any moment when you pray for help. It’s also wise to ask for His help when you begin each day, so you can see the situation from an accurate perspective on a regular basis. As you make this a regular habit it will become easier.
The Bible calls the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities can lead to a healthy mind.
- Turn Your Worries Into Prayers
Philippians 4:6-7 urges us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving give your requests to God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” whenever you notice yourself worrying about something because you’re overthinking it, take that thought captive by praying about it. Refuse to dwell on anxiety, instead talk with God about what’s concerning you, asking Him to help you with that situation and give you peace about it. Worrying just wastes your energy, but prayer always works because it invites God’s power into the situation. Choose to trust God will answer your prayers at the best times in the best ways. When worries are persistent keep praying persistently, following the advice of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “Pray continually.” The more you pray when you catch yourself worrying, the more you’ll be able to overcome overthinking. Prayer focuses your thoughts on God, and Jesus assures us in Matthew 6:33-34 that seeking God is much better than worrying, “But first see His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34). Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Focus On Positive Thinking
Overthinking can cause negative thoughts spiral out of control. You can fight that off by focusing on positive thinking. Philippians 4:8-9 encourages us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is no key, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lively, whatever is admirable -if anything is except praiseworthy – think about such things… and the peace will be with you. Bible verses about positivity show that choosing positive thinking can help you move closer to God, which will empower us to overcome overthinking and trust in God in deeper ways.
- Be Still
Rather than letting thoughts run wild through your mind with overthinking, choose to rest your mind by reading God’s word and praying about them (mediating the Bible) this brings God’s presence closer to you. “Be still, and know that I am God.” God encourages us in Psalm 46:19. When you trust God, you don’t need to overthink, because God will fight for you in any situation.
Exodus 14:14 assures us that, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” You can strengthen your ability to still your mind by developing prayer and meditation habits you enjoy and will be motivated to practice regularly. My pastor uses playing his guitar during his time with the Lord and singing the scriptures. I prefer to spend time outdoors in nature when I spend time with the Lord. When you incorporate something you enjoy with spending time with God,it becomes easy to make it a habit. And in the process, your faith will grow stronger, eloping you trust God more and be still with him in peace.
Learning what the Bible says aboard overthinking gives you the wisdom you need to stop the stress of unhealthy thoughts running through your mind. As you practice ways to overcome overthinking, you’ll experience more peace, and be free to notice and enjoy God’s presence with you, no matter what circumstances you face.
From Pity to Praise 