10 Powerful Verses for Overthinkers
Where my overthinkers at?! If you're like me, you can take any situation and overanalyze it to smithereens. (Yes, I said smithereens.) I will say something to someone and walk away replaying it for hours. Someone will say something to me and I will dwell on it for days. I allow the enemy to creep into my thoughts and steal time and joy from me because I am so focused on what I absolutely cannot change. I woke up so heavy this morning replaying conversations from the night before. I worried that people thought I was weird or awful or both. All of my thoughts and feelings were completely irrational, but that didn't stop them from sucking the life out of me. My overthinking led to a bad mood that led to a fight with my husband that led to a "woe is me" attitude -- until I decided to take my thoughts captive and make the shift. We HAVE to control our thoughts if we don't want them to control us. The greatest weapon we have against overthinking, overanalyzing, and overstepping the boundaries of our minds is The Word of God. That's where we have to go to get away from the thoughts that often suffocate us. These verses have power and speaking them out loud can help us renew our minds when our thoughts wonder down rabbit holes.
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
"... to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:23-24 (NIV)
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 (ESV)
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)
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” Isaiah 43:18 (ESV)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 129:33-34
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (ESV)
"Do not conform 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." Romans 12:2
God has given us the power of a sound mind, according to 2 Timothy 1:7. A sound mind does not jump to irrational conclusions or let one anxious thought lead to the idea that everyone hates us and we are horrible people -- see how crazy that sounds?! But somehow, I let myself go there far too often. It's not easy to build the muscles of our mind and train them to function out of a place of peace over anxiety, but we can do it through our God who strengthens us to do all things. Let's take our thoughts captive and kick overthinking to the curb - you with me?
In this together, Kaitlin