By: Denny

We have an exciting and miraculous story of how we met on a Friday, were engaged two days later on Sunday, and married forty days afterwards. In telling her part, Lucy says that the moment we met the Lord told her I was her husband. She had asked Him, “How can I marry a man I just met and don’t love?” His reply was, “When you touch, you will feel the love.” She recalls lying in bed and not being able to sleep wondering when and how that would happen. Her mind was busy thinking of many different scenarios to the point she just quieted her mind and gave it over to God to do His will His way. That was thirty three years ago this March. I believe that we all have a tendency to envision how things will happen to the point of over thinking it. We have a goal, dream, or desire and almost immediately our minds begin to plan and prepare how to make it become a reality.

Our over-thinking can be a hindrance at times that can draw us into the mindset that if things don’t line up exactly as planned, we get anxious, discouraged, worried, and stressed. Sometimes, or maybe more often than we realize, we allow our over thinking to over think what others think about us. Perhaps it was something we said, did, or didn’t say or do. For example, we didn’t speak up against the filthy language people use at work. The opportunity presents itself to bring the Lord and what He’s done for us into the conversation and we clam up. We over think that people might reject what we have to say or be labeled, “one of those religious weirdoes”. Too often we are more concerned about what others think of us rather than what God thinks. Our own self consciousness entraps us in the “what if’s”. “What if” I do what God tells me and I look like a fool or am embarrassed. Well, what if you don’t, because someday we will all stand before God and have to explain why we didn’t.

God may be telling or leading you to do something unusually different that seems contrary to your human reasoning. As it says in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Do not allow over-thinking to keep you from doing what God calls you to do. God told Moses to go to Pharaoh in Egypt and tell him to let His people go. Immediately Moses began to over think and give lame excuses why he couldn’t. Twelve men were sent to spy out the Promised Land and bring back a report. The negative over thinking of ten of them caused everyone to wonder another forty years in the wilderness. Naaman’s over thinking almost caused him to not be healed of leprosy. Sarah’s over thinking caused her to laugh at the promise she would have a son at the age of ninety. At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus instructed that the stone be rolled away. All Martha could think about was how bad it would smell since he had been dead four days. Peter started to sink as he walked on the water to Jesus because he was over thinking and paying attention to the waves rather than to the Lord. Abraham was told by God to take his son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. It was a test to see if he would wholly obey God. Not giving it a second thought, Abraham made preparations and obeyed without over thinking it. Even as he lifted the knife the Angel of the Lord suddenly stopped him saying, “Now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your only son from Me.” (Genesis 22:12) As a result of his actions, Abraham is referred to as the father of faith because he simply obeyed God. I wonder if our over thinking often stifles and is in opposition and a direct hindrance to our desire to obtain a stronger faith. Now that’s something to ponder, just don’t over think it.