One of the many ways that the enemy attacks us is through our minds – what we think about. If your mind races regularly with irrational fears and worry, you’re probably getting attacked by the enemy. It may not be something that can be fixed with medication, nutrition, or a glass of wine. Not if the source of the problem is spiritual. Those other things are merely band-aids that might help take the edge off at best.

Our goal as Christians is to develop the mind of Christ. To meditate on that which is good and in accordance with Biblical truth. It won’t be easy, we won’t be perfect, and that’s okay. But we must take inventory of what we fixate on. Not all thoughts are fleeting. Many fester and develop into bigger problems.

There are different ways to take unhealthy thoughts captive to Christ’s obedience, so I’m just going to share what helps me. It’s taken me a long time to learn how to do this even though it’s relatively simple. God reminded me this week that I need to do it more often.

I use visualization to take all unwanted thoughts (including emotions, ideas, images) captive to Christ. Simply, I envision myself giving them to Jesus, who then discards them. The visions aren’t all the same, but most of the time Jesus ends up throwing the unwanted thing in the fire, God’s all-consuming fire, where it is destroyed. Then, I immediately envision the reverse of what I discarded. I replace the wrong thought/idea/image with the right one. Visualization is incredibly quick and powerful. There’s something about seeing it in your mind that makes it more effective. You can do this for anything you want to submit to Christ’s obedience. You can do it with your eyes open, closed, in any environment, and it only takes a few seconds.

Here are some examples:

As parents, we worry about our kids, sometimes fearing the absolute worst outcome. When I worry unusually about my family’s welfare, I imagine handing Jesus an image of what that looks like, and He discards it. Then, I visualize the opposite. That image usually looks like Jesus wrapping my family in a big protective bear hug of protection, surrounded by white light.

Lost your job? Worried you’ll lose your house, not be able to keep the lights on or put food on the table? Give them to Jesus. Visualize Him discard them. Then envision God bringing you the right job at the right time, along with providing the means to pay your bills.

Sick and unwell? Stop worrying that you’ll never get better. Envision giving Jesus your sickness and see yourself well and healthy. See Him taking on your disease. I really need to remember to apply this one to my own situation with adrenal and thyroid disease.

Your approach may look different than mine, and that’s ok. Be open-minded to whatever the Lord shows you. Be patient. Like a healthy habit, it’s going to take time for this practice to become comfortable. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the power of your mind. What the enemy tries to do to it can be easily undone by our Savior.