Managing Anxiety

Two popular techniques for managing anxiety using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) are thought stopping and thought replacement. When you find yourself thinking anxious thoughts, you say something to yourself like, “Stop it!” You then refocus your thoughts onto more peaceful or productive thoughts that you have planned in advance.

Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was no stranger to anxiety and other unpleasant emotions. He once wrote of a time when he was so burdened that he despaired even of life itself, writing that he had felt as though he had received a death sentence (2 Corinthians 1:8).

Paul offered a strategy for managing anxiety. He wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV). 

Paul’s strategy sounds a lot like thought stopping and thought replacement. “Don’t be anxious about anything” is another way of saying, “Stop it!” The thought replacement Paul suggested involves praying, asking for God’s help, and giving thanks. It is thought replacement with God at its core, and it comes with a promise not offered by its secular counterpart: This particular form of thought replacement will activate the peace of God that will guard your heart and mind.

Paul and Silas may have used this form of thought stopping and thought replacement when they were beaten and thrown into prison in Philippi (Acts 16:16-34). In verse 25 of that story, we read that Paul and Silas were “praying and singing hymns to God” while they sat in the darkness of a windowless prison cell with their bodies in chains. Rather than allowing their anxiety to overwhelm them, they shifted their focus to one of prayer and praise.

Thought stopping and thought replacement can be powerful strategies for managing anxiety, especially when they activate the peace of God. What Bible verses and songs and prayers can you use to replace your anxious thoughts? 

(Posted by Jim Gant, PhD)

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