Processing

So I've been thinking through this anxiety thing, just processing the thoughts and behaviors, trying to discover a source or possible solutions. Honestly if anxiety ridden thoughts are planning to consume my mind, I'm going to try to consume my mind with something else. This exact thought was what got me turned toward scripture last night. I was thinking that the only way to stop thinking about something is to think about something else altogether. Then I remembered that God even told us what to think about: "Whatever is true..." But that isn't a verse I've got down pat so I went looking for it in my Bible and lo and behold, guess what that verse follows! It follows two of my favorite verses about worrying and peace! The two are coupled; to help with worry, to bring peace He asks that we think on these things. WAY COOL! Look at how the whole passage reads out, it's like a love letter to my heart right now:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9

All of the ways to guard are hearts and minds, to generate peace, have to do with dwelling on Him and praising Him. Paul starts this passage with the command to rejoice, twice. And even a verse that I've known most of my adult life had a piece of thanksgiving I was missing. When worried we need to offer up our concerns in prayer WITH thanksgiving. There's a common trend here, praise and thanksgiving, focusing our minds on the good. These verses will be traveling with me everywhere for quite a while now.

Beyond these awesome verses I also realized something that seems simplistic but enlightened me a bit. I made a decision to take more risks in life, to stop living safely. Risks specifically equal fear in my world. So it would make much sense that after a risky life decision I would be experiencing more fear. As a woman who does not like consequences, it makes sense that fear of what might be would drive me further into worry. Simplistic, but where I am.

This will be a long healing process. Thanks for being a part of the process and the processing with me.