A Thought Attack

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” —John 10:10, NKJV

Friendships are a blessing. I was dealing with a multitude of setbacks, heartaches, and disappointments, and I was in desperate need of some wise counsel.

I reached out to one of my good friends, and while I was in the process of explaining my situation, he told me I was having a “thought attack,” which is similar to a heart attack.

My immediate thought was What does he mean by that? During a heart attack, the heart is damaged by insufficient blood flow to the heart due to a blockage in the arteries. My friend explained, “A thought attack is when our heads are full of annoyances and concerns that linger, leaving us feeling discouraged, despondent, and angry.” Have you ever felt this way? Perhaps you’re experiencing strife within your family, or due to job rejection, financial stress, or poor health. You may have lost a loved one to divorce or death, or you may be struggling with shattered dreams or unanswered prayer. It’s easy for any of these situations to feed our despondency. We start to think God doesn’t care, that He is far away, that He doesn’t love us. These negative thoughts are lies Satan uses to keep us from trusting God’s Word and to destroy our faith in a loving God. Life on earth will be full of disappointment and hardship because this world is full of sin. But we can choose to focus on the blessings God gives.

Write them down and then praise God for them.

Let me remind you, dear sister, that you have an amazing God who cares about you. He will walk beside you through the valley of death (Psalm 23:4).

Jesus holds you by His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:13) and covers you under His wings (Psalm 91:4). He will give you the grace to endure (2 Corinthians 12:9) and wisdom if you ask for it (James 1:5, 6). He is your refuge and strength (Psalms 46:1).

He will fight for you (Exodus 14:14) and He will be with us as we go forth courageously (Joshua 1:9). Jesus died for you (John 3:16), and He will return to take you to heaven to be with Him (John 14:3). Do not allow a thought attack to paralyze you with fear.

Stand firm in the knowledge that God cares for you.

Jenny Rivera