January 13, 2014

OVERCOMING OVER-THINKING.

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***Today I'm joining Overcome the Lie's blog tour to share a lie that I am in the process of overcoming. Why? Because Jesus overcame the grave for me.***

I'm a thinker.

No wait, I'm an over-thinker.

You see, there are people that think about things and then let them roll off their shoulders. There are people who skip that thinking step and let everything roll off their shoulders. And then there's me. I over-think everything. Every possible outcome is played out in my head; whether it be what I'll say when I'm praying, what could happen at a staff meeting, or what will happen on a field trip with the little kiddos.

I'm not sure if this is an introvert thing or just a me thing, but it's a thing that has slowly been taking over my life.

Most of you know that three months ago I went from student teacher to preschool teacher. Somehow during that time I've experienced a dramatic change in confidence with this new job status. And it's not a growth in confidence. Nope, it's a slow dwindling of my confidence.

And you know what it's from? It's because I've been playing out every possible scenario, worrying about what could happen to the kids because I'm now responsible for them. I'm responsible for them on the playground, during meal times, during field trips and the like. And as the over-prepared Type A introvert that I am, I've over-thought every possible thing that could happen in these situations.

What if someone chokes? What if one of the parents comes storming in the classroom? What if the unthinkable happens and I lose a kid? 

I'm sure all of you are wondering if any of that has actually happened--and no, no it hasn't. But that hasn't stopped me from thinking about it, worrying that it might, and using "preparedness" as an excuse.

But it's not. Worry is the reason. Fear is the reason. Sin is the reason. I've let sin win me over, letting it seep into my brain, giving me reasons why I should let it take over my mind.

And now that I've identified the reason, I want it to stop. And I want it to stop now.

I want to be ruled by Him, not sin. I want to overcome this worry, these fears, this doubt and trust Him instead. Lean on Him and remember that He provides, He protects, and that He is with me all of the time. 24/7. Inside and outside of the classroom.

I am overcoming over-thinking and becoming a believer. A believer that thinks about His goodness, not the what ifs in life. I believe in Him, His goodness, and His faithfulness and I want to think about that more than sin.

Sin doesn't win. Jesus wins.

And I know it's not just a coincidence that this song came on Pandora as I was writing this post. Nope, this was all a part of His plan. His great, magnificent plan.



He's enough. More than enough. 

To learn more about Overcome the Lie and their mission to encourage women to overcome the lies in their lives, visit their website, Twitter, FacebookInstagram, and/or Pinterest. Thanks again for letting me be a part of this movement, Ashley!

36 comments

  1. I'm right there, such an over-thinker. I think this would be great for mothers to read, we can so relate with the fear of the unknown; the what-ifs with our children.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not alone! I was thinking (read: OVER-thinking) this post and was wondering if anyone would relate so I'm glad you can. And I never would have thought about this being relateable to moms, but like you said, it really is! Fear of the unknown is I think a big thing for a lot of people, especially when it involves loved ones! :)

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  2. I love that live acoustic! Its beautiful~ I am an over thinker too. A friend gave me wonderful advice once-
    "Let go- and let be and let God" I try to abide by that advice and repeat it any time I find my self thinking of worse case scenarios- if that child is going to choke- they were going to choke anyway, but what you can do is be prepared to treat it if it happens. Same if you are going to lose a child - if it happens have a plan.

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    1. Me, too! When Pandora first played it, I instantly fell in love with it and then searched it on Youtube and happened upon the acoustic version and love that one even more. :)

      And you have quite the wise friend! I've heard that saying before but never really ever took it to heart until now. Thanks for passing it on! It's so easy to try and control everything and err on the worrying/over-prepared side. But like you said, if something bad is going to happen, it would have anyway. That is actually way more of a comfort and encouragement that you could ever imagine (even if it is kind of unfortunate, if you get what I mean). :) Thanks, Kasey!

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    1. Thanks sweet friend. I think you're pretty darn amazing and awesome yourself. :)

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  4. it may be an introvert thing, because this describes me to a T! & it drives me crazy!!

    one verse i always come back to is 2 Corinthians 10:5-6
    We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

    i think i've journaled about this so many times! taking thoughts captive isn't an easy thing to make a habit, & it's something i've got to intentionally do each day or i am overthinking again!

    another thing that has helped me is making a "dagger list" - you make a list of sinful thoughts that you have frequently on the left side of the paper & on the right side of the paper you write verses that speak truth into it. so, for instance, worry on the left side, and verses about God's faithfulness on the right side. :) i'm actually glad i just thought of that because i need to make another one!!!

    p.s. sorry i wrote a novel in your comments!

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    1. Yeah, I think it is an introvert thing. Our minds are so busy, aren't they? :)

      And I looove that verse. It's a great verse to journal (I love journaling, too!) and a great way to remind ourselves of that truth.

      I've never heard of a dagger list before, but I love that idea, too! I've honestly never thought of facing my sins in that way before and I love it. It gets it out there, it makes me admit its present and it helps me draw closer to Him instead of sin. Thank you so much for that idea!

      And never apologize for long comments. They're actually my fave. :)

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  5. I'm a chronic over-thinker as well. Stuff eats me alive, and it's really becoming an issue because it's causing me to lose my joy. You're absolutely right...sin is winning when this is happening. Jesus IS enough. He is the solution, the peace, and the voice of reason in every situation. Thanks so much for sharing this today! :)

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    1. Same! If I don't stop my brain from thinking, it goes into serious over-drive mode. It's actually kind of dangerous (as you can tell from this post). :)

      And thank you for affirming what I said! It means so much to me to have friends like you to come alongside me and remind me of His amazing love and power and that He really is enough!

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  6. you are one of my favorite people. because THIS is good stuff. like stepped-on-my-toes good.

    [ps: i didn't know you had teamed up with 'overcome the lie'! my OTL post is going up wednesday!]

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    1. You are an amazing friend. So encouraging, so full of truth, and so full of love. Thank you for this comment; it really warmed my heart. :)

      And I think Ashley reached out to some amazing bloggers! I had no idea you were a part of this, too! I'm super excited for your post! :)

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  7. Me too, me too. This is a constant fuel to my generalized anxiety. Sometimes I think I spend more time imagining the fake scenarios than I do living the real things. Hard stuff.

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    1. Same here, girl, same here. All too often I let my mind wander and dwell on the what ifs instead of the what is/are's in life. It's so easy for me to think about the unknowns because I'm trying to prepare myself but in reality, I'm just making myself feel more unprepared than prepared. Does that make sense?

      Anyway, I know it's weird to say, but I'm glad I'm not alone in this. It's definitely tough stuff but it's a little easier knowing I'm not alone! :)

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  8. This is such a great post!!! I'm such an overthinker as well and am gradually learning to give things over to the Lord instead of panicking about it!

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    1. Thank you! It's like second nature for me to just turn to over-thinking instead of thinking about Him and turning everything over to Him. It's definitely a gradual change, but a change I know is worth it in the end. :)

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  9. Thanks for sharing this--I know so many of us struggle with the same thing!

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    1. Thanks for reading this, girl! It's so easy to think I struggle with this kind of stuff on my own, but like you said, there are so many other people who do, too. :)

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  10. I've definitely been there!
    Thank you sharing your heart and speaking truth to us today. :)

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    1. So glad I'm not alone in this! After hitting publish, I felt an instant rush of relief and I actually feel wayyy better now--it's almost not even funny. :) Sometimes you've just got to get it all out there, right? :)

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  11. Great post! We are all over-thinkers when it comes to something. But, it all boils down to sin and our minds being filled with something other than our Lord.

    Great thoughts, Kiki! :)

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    1. Thank you! I love what you said, we're definitely all over-thinkers--we just vary in what/how we over-think. And you're so right, we've got to think about Him first and foremost. That is what's most important (and most rewarding for us, too!). :)

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  12. i love this post girl!
    You definitely got straight to my heart! Thanks for reminding me that he is enough :)

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    1. Thanks, girl! I'm glad you understood and can relate! I sometimes worry (read: over-think) about my posts and think that no one will understand what I'm saying. So I'm glad you get it. :)

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  13. Great post!! It's definitely in my nature to overthink everything too... This year with trust being "my word" whenever I start getting anxious or overthinking I try to reflect on Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act." I try and repeat it over and over... it actually helps!

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    1. That is such a good verse!! I've been reading through Psalms these past few months (one chapter/day) and I loved reading that verse a few weeks ago. Thanks for refreshing it to me! He WILL act, we only need to trust. :) I will definitely be dwelling on this post these next few days!

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  14. Yes, AMEN! What a great lie to debunk: the lie of worry. It comes in a sneaky way often disguised as "preparedness" as you said, but it speaks loud and clear: worry tells us God is not able, therefore, we must fear. Worry tells us WE need to fix it because God is not strong enough. Worry tells us that God does not see what we are/will be going through. Worry tells us God is not enough.
    But God desires for us to live fearless lives, which is impossible without Him because bad stuff really does happen. And the scary part for me is that just because I am under the shadow of God's wing so-to-speak, bad stuff can still happen. I am not immune to suffering, illness, or other troubles just because I am his child. If I dwell on this fact alone, worry creeps in and lays all sorts of nests in my mind. But, and that's a big BUT, even through the suffering, illness, troubles, His love remains. He walks us through the shadows in the valleys...through. Not around or away from. Through. And it's through those times that we realize that He IS able and he IS strong enough, and he IS enough.
    I am right there with you. I over think. I overanalyze. I even think about why I am thinking what I am thinking. Yet God is still Lord over our emotions and thoughts and I often need to remember to surrender this battlefield over to Him, surround myself with good Bible verses, and honestly share my struggles with a selected few Jesus-loving ladies in my life. He knows our weaknesses and is faithful to walk us through this area in 2014. I am excited to see what He will do in both our lives as we overcome this lie!

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    1. Elena, you are seriously one of the wisest ladies out there--just another reason why I love you and our friendship so much. :) Please come visit me, okay?

      Also, I loved this: "worry tells us God is not able, therefore, we must fear." That is so true and something that I definitely lean on all too often. Worry does indeed tell us that God is not enough and that God will not provide. But like you said, bad stuff does happen, BUT He IS and will always be WITH us through it all. He really IS enough! That's like a second pep talk to myself, in case you're wondering. :)

      Lastly, thank you for reminding me that I'm not alone in this--I over-thought my blog post and was unsure that people could/would connect with what I said so I'm glad this was yet another example of why worrying is not worth my time. So excited to see what God brings us this year and all of the other lies we'll overcome, too! :)

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  15. wowee awesome!!!
    I think as women we generally overthink things and its great sometimes I think - because you are probably a fantastic organiser. Of course you are - your a teacher! So I think see it as a positive thing if you can because as much as it can frustrate you to catch yourself overthinking a situation or visualising how things "may" turn out - it is such a good thing to have! I think more people in our world should be overthinkers then there would be more well-laid out plans and perhaps less mistakes haha :)

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    1. I think you are probably right. Like really, really right. I think as women we definitely over-think things. Good thing I'm not alone in this! :)

      And it's funny that you mentioned organization, because that pretty much fits me to a T and I also think it's another reason why I let myself get over-prepared--I really just want to be organized and ready for everything. Like you said, I definitely do not think it's a bad thing (because being prepared is definitely good, haha!) but I also think it's a fine line between being prepared and being a worrywart. :)

      But I also love that last sentence you wrote because I completely agree. Sometimes we all need to be a little more prepared and take an extra moment before we act or say something... :)

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  16. Jesus wins!! We have victory because of what He has done on the cross! Amen

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    1. Yes He does! :) I love Overcome the Lie and the motto that we overcome lies in our lives because He overcame the cross. It is most definitely the truth, right? :)

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  17. Me too!!!!! Thinking of all the possible outcomes is proof that my faith is not where it belongs. I'm trusting in myself to control every situation, but i'm not in control at all!

    We have to let go and just breathe...

    Love your blog!

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    1. Exactly. I couldn't have said that better. We definitely just have to let go and let God. It's something that's way easier said than done but something that's worth it in the long run (and short term, too, really!). :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Katie!

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  18. Wow Kiki! I am so on the same page as you. I didn't ever realize that I overthink a lot of things until my dear friend pointed it out to me. And now that I think (go figure) about it, I really do overthink too much! Gosh. That sounds weird. Anyways! Thanks for this post :)

    Oh and that is totally not just an introvert thing. I am a definite extrovert and I struggle with it ;)

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    1. So glad to know I'm not alone, girl! I all too often don't realize how often I let worry and thinking take over until I stop myself or someone else stops me. Isn't it crazy how worry and fear (and well, sin) can take over our lives? It's crazy, I tell ya. But thank goodness for friends and more importantly, Jesus who reminds us that He is the center and cornerstone of our lives. :)

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© IN ITS TIMEMaira Gall