Most of the time, we think of worry as another word for “anxiety” or as a way of describing excessive concern that often involves a good deal of emotion. But worry in its commonly understood sense is not the only expression of anxiety. Another form of worry is called reasoning, which takes place when we think about something over and over, trying to figure out what happened, trying to understand what people were thinking, or trying to decide what to do in a situation. Reasoning causes confusion and can easily make us vulnerable to deception. Trust requires some unanswered questions, and being satisfied to know that God knows what we don’t know. We know in part, but God knows everything. He is never surprised or without a solution.
I find that I can ponder a situation and sometimes find answers or arrive at conclusions by doing so. However, if I think about it so long that I start feeling frustrated and confused, I know I have gone too far. It is even possible through reasoning to come up with a plan you think is right but, in fact, will never work. The Bible calls these man-made plans “works of the flesh.” They take up our time, but keep us in the realm of self-effort and pride. They produce no good fruit, but they certainly keep us busy. We can literally spend years of our life with such man-made plans and never get around to realizing that only God can do what needs to be done. Don’t waste your think time, but instead use it on power thoughts that agree with God’s Word. God will not go to work until we turn our problems over to Him. He is a gentleman and does not interfere without invitation. The Bible refers to this simply by saying that we “have not” because we “ask not” (see James 4:2).
When I write about the uselessness of reasoning, I am not suggesting we become passive and never try to do anything to help ourselves solve our problems. A passive mind is one that is open ground for the devil to occupy. We need to be active in the right way. Ephesians 6:13 teaches that when we face problems, we are to do all the crisis demands and then stand firmly in our place. We certainly need to do what we believe is right and what we have peace about doing, but we shouldn’t frustrate ourselves trying to do what we cannot do.
For example, when we want to see changes in someone we love, the best policy is to pray first and only take action if and when God directs us to. We can do a lot of damage to relationships by trying to change people. We may feel we are just trying to help but if the person doesn’t see what you see or if they don’t want to change, they may feel pressured and rejected. Timing is very important when discussing potentially touchy subjects, so if we pray first and wait on God, it always works out better. I can pray, but I cannot make a human being want to change. Only God can work inside a person’s heart. If I continue trying to do what only God can do, I will make myself miserable.
I was a person who wanted to understand everything because it made me feel that I was in control. I was not good at “not knowing.” My mind went on and on all day with thoughts like, Why did I act like that? I wonder what so-and-so is thinking about my decision to buy a new car? Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet for a promotion at work? I wonder if I am doing something wrong or don’t have enough faith? The whys in my mind seemed to never cease and they made me miserable. My mind was home to all sorts of uninvited guests (tormenting thoughts) simply because I never said “no” to them.
I wondered, reasoned, worried, fretted, imagined, and was anxious to the point where it left me completely exhausted at the end of most days. God actually showed me that I was addicted to reasoning and that I had to give it up. It didn’t happen overnight, but each time I started my mental gymnastics I said, “I will not worry or try to figure this out,” and gradually I was able to trust God with my life.
Think about It
Are you prone to reasoning? Remember, reasoning is a form of worry, so next time you start to reason, stop and decide to trust God to figure out everything for you.
