A List of Lists For Putting Anxious Thoughts In Their Place
As I read through Joshua this last week, I thought… How many times is God going to recount all He has done for Israel? I got tickled thinking back as I have read through the Bible…He reminded them several times of each step along the way that led to their freedom. He reminded them and reminded them, then reminded them to remember!
"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Then it hit me… THIS is why I love making lists! Like Father like daughter, right? He has written a few lists in His time. Our God values remembrance. He wants us to keep these things close to our hearts so we don’t forget all He has done and all He can do. When we remember who God is, we remember who WE are. Our God also values order. Confusion, chaos, and fear do not belong in the mind of a believer. These things do not come from God. And if they do not come from Him, we know who is behind them.
Remember that this is war.
"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12
The anxiety and depression you experience comes from the enemy. He wants to set up camp in your mind to rule over your thoughts, but remind him he has no authority there. Just like you would have to train your body for a physical war, we have to train our minds and hearts for spiritual warfare.
This is where my lists come in. Because my thoughts were so bogged down with fears, I had to purposefully replace them with the truth of the Word. It’s something I had to intensely, strategically do to put my thoughts in their place. The following are some ideas of list to try with a few examples. I encourage you to pick just one to try. If you find that it helps you, which I hope it will, try another!
A list of lists:
A list of ways God has shown His faithfulness that you read about in scripture.
God gave Abraham and Sarah a child, just as he said he would.
God blessed Job with double blessings after his trials.
God reunited Joseph and his father.
God granted Ruth a redeemer and new beginning.
God rewarded Solomon wisdom because he asked for it.
A list of promises God has for His people in scripture.
Example:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
The lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the lord comes to the rescue each time.
For the lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken! (Psalms 34: 17-20)
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:3-7)
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:2-5)
A list of people who had to wait on God to remind yourself you are in good company.
Jacob had to wait for Rachel. Joseph had to wait to get out of prison. Abraham and Sarah had to wait for a child. Hannah had to wait for a child. Moses had to wait in the desert before delivering his people. Then waited again in the desert before his people entered the promised land. Jesus waited thirty years before starting his ministry.
A list of things that are true, lovely, honorable, right, pure, and admirable (Philippians 4:8 says to think on these things).
Write down your anxieties, and then write down the truths from scriptures that prove these are lies.
Example:
Lie- No one loves you.
Truth- You are loved. (Ephesians 3:19, Romans 5: 8, John 17:23, Colossians 3:12)
Lie- You are forgotten and overlooked.
Truth- You are chosen. (Ephesians 1:5, 1 Peter 2: 9-10, John 15:16, Colossians 3:12)
Lie- You are a mess.
Truth- You are forgiven. (Romans 8:1, Romans 5: 1, Colossians 1:22)
Lie- You are alone.
Truth- You are not alone. (Hebrews 13:5b)
Lie- No one wants you.
Truth- You are a child of the King of Kings. (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:17, John 15:15, John 1:12, 1 John 4:4, Galatians 3:26)
Write down psalms that speak to you.
Example:
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. (Psalms 4:8)
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. (Psalms 3:3)
But each day the lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. (Psalms 42:8)
Fight back against anxiety with thankfulness and joy, keeping an ongoing list of things you are thankful for that bring you joy (there is nothing too small to add to this list!).
Create a list of moments that God has shown his faithfulness to YOU specifically.
Make playlists with songs that speak truth, offer hope, and bring peace.
I know this one isn’t super spiritual, but I had to share it... Make a check list of to-do’s for the day. Pretty simple, BUT you’d be surprised how many people don’t do it yet feel overwhelmed with all they need to accomplish. For me, the importance of this simple list is to organize and prioritize my mission for the day. As I mark each item off, it’s proof of what I have accomplished despite my anxiety.
Non-lists:
Keep scriptures in places where you can see them, so that you can be constantly surrounded by truth. I put mine on my bathroom mirror, at my desk in my classroom, and in my purse.
Bible journaling. Seeing God’s word displayed in an artistic way may be a meaningful experience for you. There are several ideas of how to get started on Pinterest.
A “mantra” I had during this time that I still claim today came from Beth Moore’s book Believing God. I repeated this about a million times a day…
God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who He says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God’s word is alive and active in me.
Feel free to use this list of lists as a resource for the future. Think of it as a list of strategies to return to and try out. I have found list making to be very beneficial for ordering my thoughts and running out fear, but the most important thing to remember is to simply have our thoughts fixed on Him.
"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you."
Isaiah 26:3