Anxiety

There is a treatment model in today’s psychological community known as “Cognitive Behavioral Treatment.” There are striking parallels between this secular model and the Word of God. This treatment model focuses on the client learning how to identify thoughts and behaviors that are not healthy and learning how to take control of them. One of the main focuses is on “automatic thoughts.” An event occurs that triggers the client’s mind to go into these thoughts that keep repeating over and over in their mind. This can be crippling. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul wrote of this same process in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We 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.
These automatic thoughts are the strongholds that the Apostle Paul wrote about. The enemy comes against our minds over and over until he gains an entrance and then he builds a road so that he can come and go any time he wants to. There are tools in psychology that can prove helpful in identifying these strongholds. 1. Evaluate the thoughts and determine whether or not they are rational or irrational. Look for absolutes like, shoulds, musts and absolutes. Things like “I should not be having these feelings.” Another thing to look for is “awfulizing.” Thoughts like “If I don’t get my way, it will not be able to stand it!” 2. Look for things that dispute your irrational thoughts. What is holding on to this belief getting me? Maybe it is alright if that person dislikes me. 3. To think more rationally look for less absolute beliefs. There will be trouble in this life. How we react to these things is the important thing. It is so important to commit to memorizing scripture. When the enemy comes and says that you are sick, tell him “I am not sick because I am healed by the stripes of Jesus!” The United States Army teaches battle drills over and over until it becomes second nature. When a certain situation happens, the soldier reacts without thinking. The Word of God is the same way. If you have the scripture in you, it will come out when you need it.