Dear Overthinker, Satan Would Do Anything to Stop You From Reading This Message

I woke up this morning with something on my mind. A social interaction gone bad. I even felt a small sense of anxiety over the entire thing as I replayed potential scenarios. The more I thought about it the worst I felt. Wanna hear the crazy part? This was a situation that hadn’t even happened. It likely wouldn’t even happen. I mean, I guess it could, and the thoughts of the what-if maybes were the ones that kept me up at night because I am such an overthinker.

I was the kind of overthinker who replayed confrontation for hours. Recently a coworker had said something demeaning to me over the phone. When he later appeared in my presence, I averted eye contact and said nothing. So, naturally, for the next hour after he left my floor, I made up conversations in my head. In these convos, I was the witty, quick-thinking gal who stood up for herself. I knew she was in there somewhere. I just had trouble finding her outside my mind.

At least with the above scenario, an actual incident had occurred, but in the one this morning it hadn’t. It was a problem I imagined, one I concocted. I guess I didn’t have enough problems to deal with in reality; I also had to invent possible problematic situations. I suppose it was my contingency plan. In reality, I knew though, that I suffered from over-thinking. I would mull over a negative occurrence for forever, and the possible, it might just happen, negative incidents almost just as long.

This morning as I prayed about it the Lord spoke clearly and strongly to my heart, and if you’re an overthinker too then these words are probably for you too.

You need to see these thoughts for what they are. They’re not a curse you’re stuck with, or just the way it is. You need to recognize them for what they really are.

Distractions.

They’re distractions from the enemy to take your eyes off my purpose for your life. I have a plan for you, one that I am working out as we speak. You may cannot see what I am doing, but I am laying the groundwork behind the scenes right now. The Devil would choose to take your eyes off my purposes. You are already walking in the plan I have for you, but Satan would work to make you immobile, to keep you so focused on the distractions he places in your way, that you stop moving forward with me.

Don’t look to the left, and don’t look to the right. Like the blinders a horse wears I need you to be steadfastly focused straight ahead on my face. That’s where truth lies, and truth always sheds light on distraction for what it truly is.

Whether it’s overthinking a confrontation, regretting past mistakes, dwelling endlessly on a situation, or worrying about one that may happen, I realize that when I am fixated, or my mind is spinning haphazardly, I’m missing an opportunity to hear God and do His will. So here’s to looking straight ahead.