Overthinking

Jun 30, 2023

I wish there was a specific support group for overthinking in which I would confess: “Hi, my name is Som and I’m an overthinker.”

Anyone with me? I know I’m not alone in this. You see, I find myself overthinking about conversations I had. I overthink about decisions I made. I even overthink about the future conversations I’ll have and the future decisions I’ll make all to land on “Eh, I guess we’ll see how it goes.” If not careful, overthinking can take over your life, increasing your anxiety and leaving you in a state of “stuck.”

Studies show the cause of overthinking is fear, intolerance to uncertainty, trauma, or perfectionism. That alone tells us that overthinking is not from God. Anytime we are being led by fear or lack, or even perfectionism, we know that we’ve succumbed to the schemes of the enemy. So how do we break free? The Bible tells us in Psalm 94:19:

Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.

- Psalm 94:19 (The Passion Translation)

Family, the solution to our overthinking is God’s presence.

Are you taking the time to be with Him each day? If so, be intentional about surrendering your busy thoughts to Him. If you struggle to get time with Him each day, I get it. You have kids, a husband, a job, and things need to get done. But I urge you today to jot down how you utilized your time for an entire day and then, look for the windows where you can be in God’s presence. Maybe it’s when you're aimlessly scrolling on your phone, maybe it's waking up 30 minutes earlier to read God’s Word; or maybe it’s on a lunch break.

The cure to yours and my overthinking and a lot of our daily struggles, will always be Jesus; He’s always the answer. Turn to Him. Share with Him what’s on your mind and then after you give it to God, release it! Your releasing it, is your way of saying “God I trust you; I take my hands off it.”

Today, I surrender my overthinking to God, and I ask that you join me. I want us to experience that soothing comfort Psalm 94 mentions and rest in the presence of the Lord.