Subdue Your Soul
When you are faced with the thought of an unwanted event, how do you use your imagination? Do you become fearful and worried, or do you intentionally shift your thinking so you use your faith in God to shape the way you see and do things (Psalm 34:8)?
Romans chapter 7 is a section of scripture that highlights the anxiety that comes from uncertainty. Although in verses 14-18, the Apostle Paul is referencing behavioral sin, the same struggle can take place in your soul when you let your mind wander. Sometimes we find ourselves facing a situation where we know the right thing to do- yet we choose not to do it (Genesis 3:16, 1 John 2:16). The Apostle James describes this as a "faith without works" (James 2:26). A secular way of describing this feeling generated from uncertainty is self-doubt mixed with the negative feelings from a real trauma or an imagined event.
When you are consumed with thoughts of events that you have no control over or when you feel fear, worry, or hurt and you allow these thoughts and feelings to crawl into your soul, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Once under your skin, the effects leave you feeling sad, mad, alone and confused and this is what causes you to take your eyes off hope (Proverbs 12:25).
It's human nature to turn inward and hyper-focus on ourselves rather than look up and out so we can subdue our soul with God's Word (Romans 7:24). This human behavioral tendency is instinctual and further aggravated by anxiety that stems from cognitive dissonance - when you think one way and yet do another or when you fail to do anything at all. (Anxiety is a prolonged over-response to stress. It's when the natural stress hormones are being released and then prolonged by the self-contained thoughts you think based on your interpretation of the real or imagined events. Another way to say this: it's when you are consistently on high alert so the flight or fight response stays active too long and becomes part of your Standard Operating Procedures.) Anxious thoughts cause poor consequences when acted on because when you are in this state you overreact; either you "fight" (most likely with more intensity like rage and less rationality) or you become stuck (you flee or avoid the controversy as if paralyzed by your negative emotions and doubt) leading to depression. For more on personality expressions see Appendix 2J.
When stress rises to the level of anxiety - as a Christian, it means you are walking in unbelief; you are no longer walking by faith in the Word of God but walking by your own thoughts/interpretations (Hebrews 3:11-13). This is when a Christian falls into anxiety, depression or rage and loses the peace and joy that comes with the confidence of being in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7, 17). Losing your peace indicates that you are no longer living in a psychosocial balance with God because you are walking by sight and not allowing God to inspire you to show the loving behavior that is consistent with the Christian faith (Hebrew 6:18-20).
Anxiety may be your trigger to addictive behavior so learning to replace a bad habit with a good one will build your confidence and keep you balanced. Psychologists say that both social support and hope are needed to push through anxiety, but it seems like these are the first things we lose sight of when we become fearful and depressed.
Faith is what keeps your world steady. It’s having a balanced perspective that enables you to deal with the real or anticipated storms in life, so you are inspired to maintain your peace. Some Christians get stuck and don’t make it through the flood of negative thinking that can surround uncertainty. Instead, they get lost in their emotions and get swallowed up in the anxiety it produces. Instead of relying on their faith and then looking for mature Christians to encourage them in God's Word, they hyper-focus on the problem and loose hope by either isolating themselves or surrounding themselves with unbelievers who will join them in their worry. Wavering, unsteady Christians let their negative imagination dislodge the psychosocial balance, so they get washed up to the shore of despondency. Christians who turn to the Word, to Christian friends and to others who visualize faith-filled thoughts, cling to the hope that is their faith by using this vision to motivate their decisions (Hebrews 11:1). They know Christ walks with them as they withstand the force of the waves until the storm rolls by (Joshua 1:9).
Shift Your Perspective and Keep Anxiety at Bay
Your belief in God prompts you to pray for the strength needed to not only withstand the storm but move through it (Mark 5:36, 9:29). Prayer is the backbone of a relationship to God. Because we honor and trust God’s sovereignty and His character, we talk to Him. He responds to us by inspiring our thoughts and so the more we pray, the more we develop the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Having the mind of Christ means you share Jesus’ perspective of humility towards God, the Father, so you choose to tame your human instincts (James 3:7-11, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13) . Through prayerful dependence on God and obedience to His Word, you develop the confidence and compassion that reveals that you trust in your relationship with God (Matthew 5:16, 9:36, Luke 5:16, Philippians 2:5-8). Listen to the songs “Stand” and “The Sun is Rising” for inspiration.
Jesus made a point to say that as Christians, we have a choice to make in how to respond to certain situations. We can react using our human senses and emotions or we can respond in faith in God. But it takes work (1 Thessalonians 1:3). It takes discipline in both the mind and body to read the Bible, believe it, and act consistently (1 Corinthians 9:26-27, Ephesians 4:26-27, Philippians 4:13, 2 Timothy 1:7, Titus 2:12). We can do this when we evaluate our anxious thoughts against the truth of God's Word (2 Corinthians 10:5). When we surrender to Spirit-controlled thinking, we experience true life and peace. The work of faith is a two-step process; it’s sorting through your emotions and then it’s choosing to act consistently with the leading of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 18:30). This is our spiritual act of worship to our Holy, Spiritual God (Romans 12:1). When we do this, we have achieved the psychosocial balance.
All people seek balance in life, but for Christians it is achieved when you reach the point where Matthew 6:33 isn’t just a memorized scripture, but it’s the way you live your life. This is when God is reflected in the daily decisions you act on and also in the resiliency in which you respond. You prove your Christianity by acting out the Word of God in public, despite circumstances, because of your faith (Romans 15:13, Hebrews 11:1). This takes intentionality and a willingness to see things from God’s perspective. (Read more at the CYNN website @: https://www.createyournewnormal.org/perception-drives-behavioral-choice.)
Thoughts are under our control. We can choose to cling to some and dismiss others. We don’t have to stay glued to anxious thoughts when uncertainty hits.
-
What do you do with your thoughts?
-
Do you evaluate them before you act?
It's likely that your first thought will be from a worldly perspective; your first thought is not typically Godly. Knowing this, you can choose to wait for the next thought. You don't have to be influenced by the "wisdom" of this world -- untamed, self-centered instincts. This second thought is usually the one that is consistent with what you have learned of God’s Word. When chosen, this thought is empowered by the Holy Spirit so you can walk through uncertain times with confidence because of your faith in God, not self (Philippians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:3).
Credit card commercials ask the question, “What do you have in your wallet”?; but the Bible asks; “What’s in your heart”? Instead of showing a plastic card, Christians show faith by actions (James 1:22).
-
Are you practicing Christian cognitive consistency? That’s when what you say you believe, is the same as what you choose to think about and is what you do.
-
Or do you have Christian cognitive dissonance? That’s when you know to remain steadfast in your beliefs but you allow your thoughts to wander so what you think and do isn't consistent with what you believe, stealing your peace (Isaiah 26:3).
We are familiar with what Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7 about how Christians can experience peace by making our requests known to God. A bit later in the Bible, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, explains the attitude in which we should approach God; 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
-
Does this describe how you cry out to God in the midst of despair?
-
Do you fall to your knees, praising and thanking God before making your requests known to Him
-
Who do you magnify?
With God positioned first in your life, you can achieve peace from Christian cognitive consistency as you maintain the psychosocial balance. As a Christian, when adversity strikes, you have the choice to replace a fearful reaction with an intentional response. Instead of allowing your physical senses to dictate your response, you need to find the Christian hope necessary to stimulate you to wholesome thinking so you can act consistently with your faith (Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:8, 1 Timothy 6:3-4, James 1:22-25, Peter 3:1-2).
Faith; a Two-sided Coin
Picture "faith works" as the nick name for a two-sided faith coin (see Appendix 1A). Think of the coin as spiritual currency in a physical world. Faith needs both sides of the coin to make it complete and authentic; the action words believe and act are needed to show your faith (John 6:29, Romans 12:2, James 2:18). One side is hearing a Biblical Word that you accept and believe but the flip side is practicing the belief so it will bring the anticipated exchange - what the Bible says will happen as a result (Isaiah 55:11). When you decide to act on the knowledge you have of God, you have made what is true in your heart visible in your actions- you trust what you believe, so you act (Matthew 7:20, 26-27, John 6:27). The anxious feeling from cognitive dissonance is dissolved when a Christian acts and speaks what's in their heart (Matthew 12:35). A relationship with Christ that is built on belief alone, is like a one-sided coin; inaction caused from anxiety voids the transaction. Jesus likens this one-sided coin to building a house on a cheap foundation while John likens the two-sided faith coin to abiding in the tree of life (Matthew 7:24-27, John 6:26, 55-57, 63, Revelation 22:14).
Picture your authentic faith coin as one that can be exchanged for the promises of God (Acts 10:35, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Hebrews 11:6). Faith works in a Christian when hope sees, faith believes, trust acts and love persists. The Holy Spirit empowers you to carry out the work of faith, but it’s up to you to decide to adjust your attitude to act according to God’s holy righteousness and then wait expectantly as the consequences from your actions echo the Word of God (2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 3:8).
Think about how you respond to anticipated events, real or imagined, expected or unexpected.
-
Are you caught up in the moment and lose control of your Godly imagination or do you use the unwanted interruption as an opportunity to build your spiritual muscle to stay focused on God’s promise (Romans 8:28)?
Look at Psalm 91 for example. It talks about how hiding in the secrete place of God brings protection. This secrete place, resting in the “Shadow of the Almighty”, is a place where faith acts because of hope in the God's Word (Psalm 119:114). In good and bad times, “Run to the Father” and cling to His ways in Attitude and Behavior. This decision is the emotional work of resting! Visit CYNN to read more at Let-the-holy-spirit-D-empower-your-A,B,C’s and Appendix 1M.
Trade Self-focused Thinking for God-centered Thinking
Some people choose, instead, to run to the place where a drink or an activity will take their mind off the problem at hand. Masking a problem by avoiding it- is a behavior common to human nature, but as children of God, we have the capacity, but often times not the will power, to do otherwise (Appendix 2B-2J).
Finding peace in a worrisome situation takes hard work. Even if our anxious thoughts drown out the voice of God and we feel like God is silent, we can still choose to discard those thoughts and replace it with the truth of scripture (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 4:16). It's a struggle to not cave into emotions and that's when we need to shift our perspective and spend time praying and praising God instead of worrying. Doing this requires the self-discipline to put on the armor of God (Haggai 2:4-5, Ephesians 6:12-18).
Trading self-focused thinking for God-centered thinking is not the first thing that pops up in your mind when you are in this place of hyper-focus and worry. It takes an intentional change of perception. Like John the Baptist said when Jesus started His ministry; “He must increase and I must decrease” or like when Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" (John 3:30-31, John 6:35, Matthew 4:4).
The shift in thinking starts when you look up and not within. That’s when you can magnify God instead of your problems. This is the emotional work required to access the power of faith. It’s avoiding the temptation to allow the problem to invade your thoughts (John 16:33). The battlefield of your mind needs the protection from the shield of faith before you can act on the Word of God (see Appendix 1R).
Humility is the attitude that frees us from self-focus and keeps God at the center of our world. The prerequisite for humility is “dying to self”; it’s your freewill offering to God (Psalm 119:108, Romans 12:1, see also Appendix L). Dying to self is giving up your agenda for God’s. It’s a reordering of your priorities in life so that God is at the center of all you think and do (Galatians 5:24-25, Ephesians 4:22-24). It can be as simple as remembering to praise God before you ask for His help in prayer.
Reading the Bible requires this perspective change too. For example, how do you feel after you read a scripture like, “love never fails”? Can you see a distinction between God and humanity when it comes to love (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). It’s God’s love that never fails. Listen to song to hear this perspective, "Your love Never Fails".
Or how about when Jesus says “blessed are the pure in Spirit” (Matthew 5:1)? What does this mean to you? Do you see yourself as "blessed" because you recognized your need for Christ Jesus, the Savior?!
As a Christian, while you are in this world, you are not of it (John 18:36). This in itself can bring discomfort and anxiety, especially when you do not surround yourself with like-minded believers. When the threat of unwanted events consumes your thoughts and when you are not around anyone who will prompt you to "encourage yourself in the Lord", you lose your heavenly perspective (1 Samuel 30:6). As soon as you begin to question God by asking “why?”, you open yourself up to the spirit of “unbelief” which ignites this anxiety (Mark 9:23-24). Unbelief halts trust and allows fear to take over. Recharge your faith and exchange worldly habits for righteous ones. (Read more in Appendix 1O on the change process).
Learning to view worldly events through God’s eyes, changes the way you live. Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior is a result of your faith decision and God’s mercy/grace. But it will not limit your anxiety unless your faith is supplemented with a willingness to allow Him to become Lord of your life too (Psalm 119:165, Proverbs 3:1-7). Your commitment to this choice activates the grace of God to work in your life (Romans 6:1-2). The Apostle Peter says to diligently add knowledge and self-control to your faith so you can display loving kindness as you wait patiently for the physical manifestation of God’s promises (Philippians 3:12, 2 Peter 1:3-11). Learning to live inside the boundaries of the operating principles of the Kingdom of God is a decision that shifts your perspective and lessens the intensity of the things of this world so you can take what happens and put it into context with your faith (see Appendix 1G, Appendix 2H, and Appendix 1Q).
Take as an example forgiveness and worry, two actions that can take on new meaning when you see with eyes of faith. For Christians who look to Jesus as Savior, it’s like looking through the small end of the binoculars, where self is at the center of your view so worry comes instead of faith. For Christians who make Jesus both Savior and Lord, the view is from the large end of the binoculars, where faith is magnified over worry because God occupies the center of your life. Seeing with the eyes of your heart brings God to the forefront of your daily interactions and ushers in hope so you stay focused on God's love alleviating worry and prompting forgiveness (Romans 8:28).
Magnifying God over self, shifts your prayer life. Instead of long prayer - where you try to cover all the what if scenario's you can think of - you trust God to know all the specifics of the situation and you go to him more frequently throughout the day (Matthew 6:7-8, Romans 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Keeping your mind stayed on God replaces the habit of worry with the habit of hope-filled prayer (2 Timothy 1:7). It's this free will decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life that shifts your thinking so you can access to the power of the Holy Spirit in you (Romans 13:15). Read more @ https://www.createyournewnormal.org/intentional-value-based-decision-ma.
Who occupies center stage in your life God or self (Joshua 24:15)? How can you tell? Do others see it too?
Trust is necessary for Christian’s to experience cognitive consistency; the place where you habitually practice self-control, obedience and hopefulness so you focus single-mindedly on God, not self (Matthew 16:24, 26:39, Philippians 1:20). Follow the example of the Apostle Paul. He chose to single-mindedly walk down the “highway of holiness” that brought him blessings of joy and peace in the midst of his trials (Isaiah 35:8, James 1:3-8, and for a visual of this journey go to https://www.createyournewnormal.org/deciding-to-live-a-new-normal-lifes and scroll down the page to the picture of the cross.)
The “highway to holiness” is a progressive journey that takes a lifetime. It’s one where you learn to know, trust, and imitate God. But you can’t take this highway until you accept God’s unconditional love for you. This love relationship is what builds this new, unshakable, mindset and makes you an overcomer in Christ (John 15:4, 16:33, 1 John 3:24). When you magnify God, you minimize your problems - real or imagined.
Respond--Don't React
Life happens. We live in a corrupt world; yet God has given us the ability to make choices in how we respond (Matthew 5:45, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 5:13). Despite what your emotions might be telling you, be hopeful and choose an intentional response. Turn your attention to the Lord of All for perspective (Philippians 2:9-11). Choosing to praise God and obey Him brings you peace and the psychosocial balance (Psalm 119:164-165). Following the Lord can be both your joy and your strength. Do you choose this attitude? Cling to the promise that joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:4-5, Nehemiah 8:10, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28). Listen to "House of the Lord" for inspiration.
Don't call on your neighbor to talk about potential problems. Instead, turn to God. When faced with the uncertainty of this world:
-
remember to turn your binoculars around so that you magnify God and not the problem (1 Chronicles 16:34, Hebrews 13:15);
-
keep your mind fixed on Him and choose to bring every thought captive to the Word of God so you can lose sight of your desperate feelings (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Philippians 4:8-9);
-
fast from worry and unbelief and, instead, approach the throne of grace with a sacrifice of praise before you petition Him (Psalm 69:30, 100:4-5, Zechariah 7:5-6);
-
remember to actively rest in Christ by staying full of God and show it in your thoughts and actions (Luke 12:29-31); and
-
seek out other Christians to help you walk through the turmoil of your emotions so you can maintain the psychosocial balance (Romans 15:5-6, and read the introduction section of "Manage Self in a Social World").
By adjusting your view to see life from God’s Holy perspective, and by acting on His Word, your anxiety will decrease (Isaiah 55:8-9). This relationship is proportional. Take this self-assessment worksheet in the "Capture Your Vision" section entitled, "Do you choose to stay full of God"?
Steps to Staying Full of God
Below is from teaching Pastor Andrew Wommack’s sermon on Romans 1:21. (Read article at: https://www.awmi.net/reading/teaching-articles/4_keys/).
1. Glorify God in speech and behavior and magnify Him over your problem.
1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” See also Job 36:24, Psalm 69:29-31, Romans 4:20, 2 Corinthians 1:20, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Revelation 1:6.
2. Be thankful; this starts with an attitude of humility.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”. See also 1 Chronicles 16:7-15, 23, Proverbs 11:2, 15:33, Acts 20:19, Colossians 3:12, Titus 3:2, 1 Peter 5:5.
3. Think on Godly knowledge to frame thoughts in your imagination.
Acts 26:8 “Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?” See also Luke 8:18, 2 Corinthians 2:7, Hebrews 10:24, 12:3, James 1:26, 5:11. Philippians 4:8, 2 Peter 3:1.
4. Maintain a pure heart, not be defiled by unbelief.
Romans 4:20 -21; “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised”. Also see Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Samuel 26:23, Mark 9:24, Philippians 4:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
Use the "Stay Full" tab of this site to obtain a list of resources that will help you stay full of God!
Place your hope in Christ!
Envision yourself inside the glass being showered to overflowing with the living water of hope (John 7:38-39)!
Are you still anxious? Click to the next page and read the prescription for anxiety relief.