What would it be like to fix your mind on true, lovely, and excellent things – and to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding – regardless of your circumstance? A couple of years ago, I felt trapped in a cycle of anxiety and fear of the future. After back-to-back hardships in the previous years, I was left drained, scared, and hopeless. In four years, we walked through a major medical issue with one of our children, moved to another state, welcomed a new baby, lost a job, moved again, lost a parent, and moved again. Whew. That was a long season of survival mode.
It was both a physical and an emotionally strenuous time of caring for my people. Looking back, it seems that my spiritual and emotional health was much better amid the hardships than it was recovering from them. Once life settled down, I began to struggle. Everything around me felt like a threat. There was a constant flow of “what if” scenarios running through my mind. I so desperately wanted to protect my kids and husband. I was hyper-aware of every little thing around me, and would immediately begin to think about and plan for the worst-case scenario. We had been through so much, and I wanted peace for us. But, I was so blinded by fear, that I lost sight of the One who could offer us peace. My world turned upside down with fear, and I couldn’t see a way out.
During those busy and stressful seasons, I struggled to find time to be in the Word. My days were full and my tank was empty. I knew that I needed encouragement and help from the Lord and I felt convicted that I needed more time in the Word. I wanted more time to hear directly from Him.
So, I made it a priority again. I remember opening God’s Word during that time – desperate to hear from Him – and just staring at the words. I knew they could penetrate my heart, but it wasn’t happening. I had experienced rich fellowship with the Lord before – even amid trying times – but at that moment I was sitting there and everything was silent.
Then, I read this passage.
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Wait. Quench the Spirit? Do I have the ability to make the Holy Spirit quiet and inactive in my life? Well, yes, when you are walking in sin. The fear I was living in – and the future scenarios I was ruminating about – was sin. I understood it that day. I was not a victim to fear. I was disobedient. I was ignoring the promises of God and trying to control the things I couldn’t control. I was choosing to fear the future rather than trust God. You certainly cannot do both.
1 Thessalonians 5 goes on to say,
but test everything; hold fast what is good
(v. 21)
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(v. 23)
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
(v. 24)
Things began to change when I acknowledged my sin of fear and confessed it to the Lord. Nothing about my circumstances changed, but my heart did. I began to feel the presence of the Lord again when I opened His Word. When I confessed my sin and turned from it, I was encouraged by the promises of God.
After God exposed my sin to me, He brought me to this passage.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What 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
If we choose not to be anxious or fearful over the future and instead submit our requests to God with thanksgiving, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.
I want the peace of God. I know there isn’t any other type of peace that calms the raging waters of my mind. “Just don’t think about it.” Not possible, friend. “Assume the best.” And not be prepared for the worst?
That is how my mind works – constantly accessing risks, making action plans, and trying to eliminate threats. I’ve experienced this headspace in both healthy and unhealthy ways. When my mind is fixed on God’s faithfulness, I can access risks and make plans, knowing that He is the only one with ultimate control. He is trustworthy.
When I am more focused on myself than on the truth of God, my thinking and planning turn to fear. I am not in control, but when I try to be, I cannot trust the One who is.
So, I turned from my sin (fear of the future), spoke to God through prayer with honesty and vulnerability, and thanked Him for who He is and all He has done. We will start to see our circumstances differently when we emphasize thanksgiving. It’s hard to fear the future when I look back at generations of God’s faithfulness in His Word and remember His consistent faithfulness in my life. So many reasons to be thankful.
During this time, I opened up about my struggles with a friend. I told her about the hard things we had walked through, how I struggled with fear, and how God was encouraging and convicting me through His Word. As I wrestled through the ups and downs of battling sin and believing the truth, I shared those things with her. I was honest in our conversations, and often feared that vulnerability, but it allowed her to listen to me, love me, and hold me accountable. And when she’d say “remember God’s faithfulness,” I would.
Finally, I filled my mind with the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. There are so many sources battling for our attention. Instagram, blogs, books, friends’ opinions, and experiences fill our minds with thoughts and ideas. But what is perfectly true? Completely honorable? Absolutely pure? Lovely, commendable, and excellent? What is worthy of your praise?
The Word of God is living and active. It discerns our thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12). Through the Holy Spirit, the Word gives us life (John 6:63). Scripture is God’s words to us (2 Timothy 3:16). The Word is God (John 1:1). He is Father, Son, and Spirit. He is your Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We get to meet Him and hear directly from Him through His Word.
How do we continue to hold fast to what is true, and not go back to our old sinful ways? We spend time with the God of peace. I planted myself in the Word and received the nourishment that I desperately needed. I studied, memorized, and prayed through the Scriptures like it was the medicine that my heart and mind needed. Oh, but it wasn’t just medicine. It was chocolate. It was delicious and I wanted more of it.
When those fearful thoughts try to creep their way back into my mind, it’s easier for me to recognize what’s happening. Am I trying to control something that is out of my control? Do I have sin that I need to acknowledge and confess to the Lord? Have I forgotten that God is faithful and trustworthy? Have I heard from Him through His Word and spoken to Him through prayer? Is my mind filled with the true, lovely, and excellent things of God or other voices that are causing me to struggle?
You and I can trust the God of peace completely. We can experience the peace that surpasses all understanding. He is in control and He is unchanging. He is faithful and trustworthy, regardless of our circumstances.
10 Steps to Take When You Fear the Future
- Sit down and acknowledge God’s power and His goodness.
- Write down your thoughts. Test them to know what is true and what isn’t.
- Confess the sin of fear.
- Thank God for who He is and what He’s done.
- Ask God for provision and protection for the things causing you to fear.
- Open God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you.
- Fill your mind with true things from God’s Word.
- Write out one truth or promise from God’s Word to fix your mind on.
- Share this truth with someone else.
- Get up and do something. Go for a walk, play with your kids, mop the floor – move your body and remember the truth. If the fearful thought tries to sneak back in, replace it with the true one.
Brittany K. Miller 