Take It Captive

We are a society of stress, living in what seems to be the age of anxiety. I feel as if we are so quick to use stress and anxiety as a blanket description, sometimes even for a prescription, for our reactions and choices we ourselves refuse to take ownership of. I myself am certainly guilty. The majority of stresses and anxieties begin in the mind, in our thoughts. The majority of theses stresses and anxieties can also be eliminated if we learn to take them captive before they take root and become a way of life.

I realize that mental health is a rising issue in our world. I also realize it is not talked about or treated enough as there is a real stigmatized view surrounding the issue. I am not talking about such an issue today. I am talking about what I have realized, especially from my own personal experiences, and that is that not everything we deal with in the stress and anxiety department is out of our control. Stress and anxiety is often times a choice, and a label we so eagerly slap on ourselves as an excuse for our behavior. Again, I am especially speaking to my own circumstances.

Unfortunately I have lived most of my life with some underlying, and often times self-inflicted anxiety and unnecessary stress issues. Being the high strung, perfectionistic planner that I am, those anxiety issues have been put on blast after my plans, thoughts, and essentially very own life was seemingly destroyed after being struck in a head on car collision. The “issues” have even seemed to multiply as of late, knowing that after a full year, I am still unable to plan and live life the way I intend to.

Just this week, I felt this spirit of frustration, doubt, and even anger rise up in me. I dare say out loud that this attitude was directed at God, but in the sake of all honesty, I must admit that He was in a fraction of the target that all those feelings were headed toward. I even found myself saying to Him, “God, you know I have this anxiety issue, this need to have it all perfectly planned out, this stress of uncertainty, which I know and have recognized as not of You, so why won’t You do anything about it?”. In my doubting, grumbling, and complaining spirit, I heard in my heart Him say, “Well why don’t you?”. Why don’t I do something about it? Isn’t just recognizing and admitting that the anxiety, need to control, and stress is not of God enough for Him to just take it away? He is God right? Can’t He just take it away? He knows I don’t want it. He knows I know it’s not right to live this way. Why can’t He? But really, why can’t I???

There is much in this life that is completely out of our control. Feeling out of control is by no means a good feeling, but as it is said, if you ever want to feel out of control, try to control everything. Why is it that I try so hard to control every aspect of my life as a means to make it all planned out and perfect, yet I won’t step up and take control over the things in me that are working against the process of perfection that God is trying to complete in me? It really sounds like a conundrum doesn’t it? Completely crazy really. The truth is, I have a choice, a responsibility, a need to step up and take control of my own stress, worry, and anxiety. Paul explains in II Corinthians 10:5, in order to take control we must, “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The knowledge of God being His promises and what His word says about every single thing we are dealing with.
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As believers, we are to have the faith, hope, and power to stand on the Word. There are things in this world coming against us left and right, there is a real enemy of our souls who thrives on us letting those thoughts of doubt, fear, and disappointment run rampant in our mind taking root and sprouting up in the form of constant anxiety and stress, but, hear this, there is a far greater power in the Word, in taking every thought captive and making it obedient unto Christ and His promises. His promises that say, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬). “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).

These are the promises and truths , just to name a few, that I am going to take hold of and use to take control over my own issues. And just like David in Psalm 139, I am going to do my part in ensuring that I live this life with my actions, moods, behaviors, and even thoughts, lining up with the things of God. David begins the chapter praising God and acknowledging that his creator has made him fearfully and wonderfully, in a way that was never meant to walk through life stressed, defeated, and full of anxiety. He continues on by changing his tone though with one of anger and frustration (and rightfully so) toward the things in life coming against him and getting him down. But instead of staying with that attitude of blame, letting those thoughts take root and lead to a life of stress and anxiety, he quickly changes his tone, takes ownership and says in verses 23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
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I want to be like David. While there are things in life that are out of my control, even things like this wreck we were in, that are seemingly unfair and life changing, I want God to search my thoughts, show me me, and take control by lining everything up with His thoughts, promises, and ways. I want to walk in what God has for me, not in stress and anxiety. Psalm 94:19 says, “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Let that resonate for just a moment. In the multitude of my anxieties, not just that one little thing I’m stressing about, not even just the big thing, but in all the things, in the multitude of my anxieties, God’s comforts delight my soul. And because of His grace, even when we bring it on ourselves, He can comfort us if we would only just let Him.
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