Overthinking. We have brains that are incredibly designed to enable our minds to think and to think a lot. If I let my thoughts get away from me before I know it, I am thinking of all that I should have done or what I should have said. Or what I should not have said.

Before I realize it, I have a dozen different scenarios in my mind, which can be overwhelming and exhausting. Have you ever been there?

Well, friend, if you have, and if you are even now, I want to encourage you that you can overcome overthinking. We both can and will!

We should rejoice even in the smallest of victories of overcoming overthinking. Let me share my small victory with you.

I have four different ways I can drive home from the office, four that I know of anyways. I typically take the same route. But well before it was even time to go home, I thought to myself, I’m going to take a new route home today. When I was leaving, I remembered my new route choice and decided to check Google Maps to see its recommendation. To my delight, Google Maps agreed with my choice.

This is quite simple but I could have overthought my choice. I rejoice in this small victory for not analyzing all four options and second, to simply go with my first thought, “Let’s go home this way today.” I didn’t ask why or try to figure it all out.

Why do we overthink?

Life. Circumstances. Decisions. Other people.

Maybe it’s because of the what ifs that are circling in our minds. Or the concerns we carry. To be honest, the one that gets me most is overthinking because I am concerned about what others think of me.

Jesus gently reminds though in Scripture to set our hearts and minds on things above.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 1:2-4

I can still value the opinions of others but I have to make sure my heart and mind are fixed on the truth that comes from Christ. Jesus reminds me that the thoughts of man are not what matters. Those are just earthly things. Rather, the thoughts of Him is where my focus should be.

The Word reminds us to set our hearts on things above. If our hearts are set on Jesus, we can move above and beyond the overthinking.

Set your minds on things above. Although it may seem impossible to control your thoughts, it is possible. It takes practice and intentionality but you really can have peace of mind.

Our thoughts don’t control us. We have the power to control our thoughts. And even greater, as we set our hearts on above, there is incredible power through the love and light of Jesus to help us.

I get it. You may be thinking it’s impossible to overcome overthinking. It will for sure take practice. But what I have discovered on this journey thus far with Jesus is that while I overthink, it is becoming less common and I’m noticing the wins. I embrace the victories when I choose to set my heart and mind on things above.

Here’s the simple truth – the opinions of others that I tend to overthink about, it’s an earthly thing. Trying to prove myself, it’s an earthly thing.

When we overthink, we have to turn to what is true. We have to simply set our hearts and minds on the love and light of Jesus. With our minds set to things above, we are one step closer to turning from overthinking to truth.