6 Faith-Based Interventions to Improve Your Thinking
Our emotions are very often a result of how we are perceiving ourselves and our situations. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of our fast-paced lives. It’s easy to find ourselves taking on the anxiety of those surrounding us. It’s easy to forget or minimize all we have access to as believers in Jesus. When we are steeped in anxiety, stress, and depression, our connection with God is often disrupted, forgotten, or under-prioritized due to lack of energy or lack of hope that it will do anything to help.
The following are thinking strategies and activities that can challenge your perspective, change your mindset, reconnect you spiritually, and remind you of the truth of what your situation looks like in the context of an all-powerful, all-loving God.
1) Intentionally invite God in to your day, as often as you need to. I believe God is always with us, but something powerful happens when we take time to intentionally invite him in to whatever we may be facing. Doing this increases our own awareness of his presence and nearness, and reminds us that we are not alone. While God does not have to wait on us to act, sometimes he does. I think there’s something he enjoys about his kids asking to include him in their daily, and it pleases him to show up for us. James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” There is action required on our part. Taking a moment to invite him in to experience all that your day has to hold.
“God, I desire you to be a part of my day. Join me every step of the way and make me more aware of your presence. May we be partners today as we face whatever joys and challenges come my way!”
2) Put on your “God-glasses.” Whenever we are experiencing fear or hopelessness, we are forgetting to look at things with God as part of the equation. If you are wearing the wrong glasses prescription, things will be distorted, even if you do not realize it. Imagine yourself putting on a pair of glasses that brings your vision into alignment with God’s perspective on your situation.
“God, give me your perspective on my situation and allow me to see things the way you do, remembering that with you all things are possible, that you are for me, not against me, and that you are more powerful that the enemy. Reveal where my current perception is causing me to feel hopelessness and fear, and allow me to see what is true.”
3) Mix up how you try to connect with God. If you are feeling like what you typically do or “should” do to connect with God is not working, try mixing it up. Going to church and reading Scripture may be important parts of a healthy spiritual life, but God is bigger than a building and can speak to us in numerous ways. If your quiet time with God is feeling dry and routine, break the mold. Go on a nature walk, watch the sunset, take a bubble bath, or do something creative.
4) Take time to intentionally receive from the Lord, not just talk to him. So often our prayers consist of us doing the talking, rather than listening or just resting in his presence. If we are running on empty, we need to allow God to fill us. Put on some instrumental worship music, get comfy, and spend some time just listening and enjoying his presence. Practice being still. Psalm 46:10.
5) Expect that you can have a positive impact on your environment, rather than expecting to be negatively impacted by your environment. I like to remember that I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me, and I carry that wherever I go. When someone carries a candle through a darkened room, the room is no longer dark, but filled with light. There may be things that I can do to either minimize or enhance that light, but by very nature of the light being in the room, the darkness is challenged.
Rather than expecting that you will likely be overcome by stress at work today, or that you will be angry because your teenage daughter is angry today, think about how you can positively influence your surrounding darkness with the light of God. This mindset alone can help, but you can also take some time to think about 1 or 2 tangible things you can do today that could positively impact those around you, even if they seem small. Give someone a hug. Express gratitude. Send an encouraging text. Smile at someone. Add some good to the world around you.
“God, thank you that I carry your presence with me wherever I go. Thank you that darkness, anxiety and depression must flee from your presence. Help me keep this in mind and help me let your light shine today.”
6) Practice gratitude. There has been an abundance of research in recent years about the benefits of the practice of gratitude on anxiety and depression. It turns out this is not new information and is quite Biblical! 1 Thessalonnians 5: 18 says to give thanks in all circumstances. This does not mean that we have to force ourselves to believe that everything is happy and perfect and fabulous. Generally speaking, however, we likely have a multitude of things that we can be grateful for, and when we turn our awareness momentarily from the pain of our problems to the things we often take for granted, our hearts will lighten. Romans 8:28 also promises that “all things work for the good of those who love the Lord,” so that means even the things that seem awful right now will be used for our good. We can thank the Lord for the blessings he has given us, and we can thank him for the struggles and the trials we are facing as he will surely use that for our good. We can even thank him for insanely high gas prices as it will give us a new opportunity to see how God can provide for us financially! Take time today to thank him for the obvious good as well as the trials.
If you are struggling with your ability to connect with God, there may be some roadblocks that you need help tackling. You don’t have to do it alone! Consider seeking out guidance from a trusted mentor, spiritual leader, or Christian counselor.
If you are located within the states of Arizona or Colorado, a therapist at Clarity Christian Counseling can help you. Fill out the form on our Contact Us page to book your complimentary phone call and get started.