All this talk about coronavirus and the pandemic and the economy and all the fallout has me STRESSED. Fear and anxiety are not new for me, they have been my lifelong companions. But this feels different. It’s an added layer and I’ve had to pull out all the “tools in my toolbox” to combat this overwhelming dread.
I keep thinking about this bible passage: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 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.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 This letter was written under different circumstances but that particular phrase “take every thought captive” just won’t leave me alone.
For many years, my thoughts and feelings have felt utterly out of my control. And in some respects they are beyond what I can control. This verse always felt out of reach for me and contributed to my feelings of weak faith and brokenness. I saw the passage as a command and a judgment and yet again I didn’t measure up.
But what if we take it as a battle plan and a rousing cry to fight back? What if it’s not a condemnation of our weakness but rather a call to lean into His strength and wage war against the things that torment us? Even if the most torment we feel is from within. Suddenly this passage feels more like a speech from The Gladiator and less a condemnation from an old school pulpit
So how am I working to “take every thought captive”?
First, I know that I can’t actually do this on my own. Being sick this week has reminded me that my value cannot be found in what I do and contribute. Rather, I am loved as myself and called to be in His presence.
Second, I’m turning off my phone. I can’t be trusted to not check the news or social media, so for large sections of the day, I just turn it off.
Third, I’m giving my brain a different job to focus on: supporting small businesses in my community. Each day in March I’m making a small purchase with a local business.
And lastly, I’m starting a new gratitude practice. I’ve been mulling this over for a while and it’s time! I’ll share more about this in the next post. 😊