Last night I pictured anxiety like a needle and thread.
Like a thought that crosses the mind; a fear, a worry, a creeping feeling of being overwhelmed and the walls closing in.
Left un-captured, the anxious thought, like a needle, pierces into the mind, and weaves a thread, a strong invisible chord through your peace.
Take every thought captive and make it obedience to Christ
In prayer, in discipline, in stubborn determination to live in truth not lies, I feel like we must be quick and fierce with spiritual scissors at cutting the threads before they can knot and weave and tie up our minds with anxious thoughts.
I don't want to ever end up tangled in a web of anxiety, distrust; threads so knotted they cloud the face and goodness of Jesus.
I want to be fast at catching the needle before it weaves destruction into my prayer life, my habits, my faith.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, present your requests to God
Let's get the spiritual scissors out this week and cut away every thread of anxiety that could be trying to weave a path in our own lives and the lives of our students.
It's mental health awareness week, we are doing our bit to speak truth and enter the conversation on social media carrying Jesus' truth.
But more than that, as individuals and as church communities let's pray, let's be alert, let's take every creeping thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Whether that's fear about the future, doubts about exam results, feelings of being overwhelmed by to-do lists, tension of comparison with other course mates. Let's cut the threads fast.
Submit your mental health to Jesus
Let's submit our own mental health to the Jesus, who longs to bring peace, clarity and contentment to our minds, and let's contend for others to not get tied in knots by the enemy too.
Take every thought captive and make it obedience to Christ.
Find your spiritual scissors this week and snip away all that doesn't taste, or sound like, Jesus.
