How many of you have lost sleep because your mind just won’t stop analyzing things?
As a psychologist, I wish I could talk about this topic as something I merely read in a book — but it’s something I’ve struggled with personally. Like any habit, overthinking doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. It’s a cognitive muscle that grows through repetition.
When I think about the hours I’ve wasted going over the same thought, trying to see if there’s a new perspective or a missing detail, I realize I’ve spent a lot of energy exercising what has now become a habit: overthinking.
Our minds are amazing spaces, capable of analyzing, dreaming, discerning, and creating. These abilities are God’s design, and like everything He creates, they are meant to glorify Him. But, as with all things influenced by humanity, our minds can also become fertile ground for sin. The goal is to take what God has given us and cultivate it so that the “fruit” of our thoughts glorifies God instead of magnifying our problems.
A Mind Like a Garden
Both Jesus and the apostle Paul spoke clearly about this. Our thought life can be a beautiful garden — or a field overrun with weeds of worry and anxiety. When we become consumed with anxiety instead of trust, we lose sight of God’s beauty and end up chasing emotional stimulation through drama or fear.
So, what does it look like to prune excessive thoughts and focus on the subtle beauty of a God who is ever-present yet never invasive?
Act More, Think Less
Some people need to learn to act more and think less. If you belong to the “overthinkers club,” there are times when you simply need to make a decision and move forward instead of endlessly analyzing. Action gives rest to the mind — because there are fewer loose ends.
This doesn’t mean acting impulsively, but learning the art of wise action: knowing when to take the next step.
I remember realizing that my constant analysis was actually a form of idolatry. Deep down, I believed that if I just thought long and hard enough, I could find the perfect solution and control every situation. But the Christian life is about praying, “Your Kingdom come,” and that doesn’t happen because of my strategic plan. God does that work — I just need to align myself with Him.
I was feeding my thoughts so much that the fire started to get out of control. When my body began sending me signals of anxiety — telling me my mind was doing too much — I knew I needed something beyond my own thoughts to regain control.
That’s when the Spirit of God led me to Philippians 4:6–8:
6 Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Replacing Thoughts with Truth
I longed for that peace that surpasses all understanding — the kind of peace that protects both the heart and the mind. So, I started replacing my thoughts with this passage.
Sometimes I felt silly — reciting Scripture when I thought I could “solve” my problems by thinking them through. But the more I repeated those verses, the more they began to make sense. Not intellectually — but spiritually. It was a peace that transcended comprehension. God’s Word became alive, just as it promises to.
If you’re struggling with your thoughts, I want you to know there is a way out.
But you won’t get there by thinking more. You don’t need more strategies or more information. God’s peace doesn’t work that way.
What you need is to focus your mind on whatever is beautiful, honorable, just, pure, and admirable — in other words, on God Himself. Because He embodies all these qualities.
Like lifting weights for the first time in years, it may feel hard at first to retrain your mind to focus on things beyond your control.
“Because you cannot control God. And He is the only one who can win this battle for you.”
— David McCormick
Think Better, Not More
Instead of thinking more, you need to think better. And the best way to think better is by replacing your worries with the truth and beauty of God.