“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23
Anxiety is something we’ve all experienced at one point or another. What might start as a fleeting thought can escalate into a full-blown crisis in our hearts and minds. The psalmist gives us the first step in dealing with anxious thoughts: bring them to the Lord. God not only knows where these thoughts come from, He also tells us what to do with them.
Worry and anxiety often start from a desire to control situations we simply cannot. We fret about what’s going to happen and may even try to manipulate the outcome. All that mental energy is going to the wrong place. The answer is to, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). In other words, put your mind on the One who does know the outcome; the One who is in control of it all.
At its core, anxiety is a battle for the mind. Worry divides our thoughts between what’s worthwhile and what’s destructive. And James says that being double-minded is an unstable way to live (James 1:8). There’s a difference between being rightly concerned and being consumed with anxiety. Right concern leads us to action and prayer, while worry and anxiety paralyze us with fear.
Another root cause of anxious thoughts is the fear of not having what we need. Jesus addresses this directly in Matthew 6:25-33. He reassures us that our heavenly Father knows what we need and is more than capable of providing for us. We may not know how God is working in each situation, but we can trust that He is doing so for our ultimate good. After all, faith is trusting what God knows more than what we can see (Hebrews 11:1).
What causes you to have anxious thoughts? Regardless of what it is, the answer is the same: look to the Lord. Rather than dwell on the situation, set your thoughts on who God is and what He’s capable of doing. Trust that He is both guiding and providing, just as His Word promises. As your trust in God grows, your anxiety will begin to diminish and will be replaced by the peace that only He can give.
