Breaking the Grip - Finding Faith and Freedom from Toxic People

In today's episode we answer the question, Does God expect Christians to stay with narcissists?

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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Are you struggling with toxic people? Maybe it’s a stonewalling husband, a narcissistic mother, or an overbearing boss. Well, I want to invite you to grab a copy of our Free Toxic People Survival Guide.

Narcissists are marked by an inflated sense of their own importance, whether it’s overtly or covertly, they struggle in genuine relationships because they lack of authenticity. Authenticity is when what’s on the inside matches, what’s on the outside and they are anything, but authentic. Narcissists are like aliens that come to this planet and have to copy the behaviors of others that will get them what they want. Now, if you are struggling in a narcissistic relationship and you want the specific signs of a Christian narcissist, I want to encourage you to jump on up to this video here.

One of the most difficult relationships that you will ever have to endure is with a narcissist. On their best day, they are manipulative and controlling on their worst day they are emotionally abusive and destructive. And the term narcissist may be thrown around loosely to describe every ex-spouse and person that you don’t like, but make no mistake narcissism is a real problem that can wreak havoc in your life. But what are you do? When as a Christian, you’re told to love one another turn the other cheek forgive bear one another’s burdens. Well, that’s why I want to talk to you today about the common narcissistic behaviors and what the Bible says we should do about them.


Common Narcissistic Behaviors and What the Bible Says to Do About Them

One common trait of narcissists is their grandest sense of themselves. It is all about them, whether they are overly demanding or covertly manipulating narcissists think they are better than you. And if they’re not better than you then they’ve been somehow jilted in life and it’s probably your fault. They are your classic entitled brats.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, but understand that, “In the last days, there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money proud, arrogant, abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” 

Avoid such people. Do you have it? My friend? That’s what the Bible says, avoid such people. Let’s go on.

Another common trait of narcissists is they are manipulative. Look let’s call this for what it is. Manipulation is a form of lying and I realize that every sweet-sounding woman with a high-pitched voice, may seem so innocent, but behind the manipulation is a series of lies meant to get you to think that she has your best interest at heart. But the truth is, it’s only meant to serve her purpose. And I see this, a lot in Christian circles, especially with covert narcissism. They come across as very timid, and very innocent, but deep inside they are manipulative control freaks.

Who else do we know is a liar? Satan.

John 8:44 tells us that “He is the father of Lies.” He is the master manipulator and these manipulators even exist in the church. Here’s what. 2 Peter 2 says, it gives a graphic description of what to do about false teachers and in 2 Timothy 3:6 we are warned about manipulators who worm their way into homes a

In this episode we talk about how to find your identity in Christ

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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Do you struggle to embrace your identity in Christ? And maybe you’re like many Christians, who know in their heads what Scripture says about them, but their heart didn’t get the memo. Meaning, they’re not walking in that identity or maybe you keep hearing people tell you to find your identity in Christ and you have no idea what that means, or in some cases, you may have built a false identity that’s based upon your values and how you want to be seen. But whatever it is if it’s not defined by anything but the Lord it’s on sinking sand. I know for years my identity was built on shallow,  superficial things like my appearance, my accomplishments, if I had a good hair day, or if I closed another deal, I felt good about myself.

But as you can imagine, when external things have the power to build you up, they also hold that same power to tear you down. I was not solid in my identity, even early in my walk with Christ. I love Jesus, but I still defaulted to the old standard measurements for success.


And if you’re struggling to identify who you are in Christ, I want to talk to you today about three steps that you can take to find your identity with confidence.

Are You Ready?

Step #1 – Learn what God says about you.  For many who struggle to embrace their God-given identity they have believed lies that they didn’t even know were lies. So the best way to overcome a lie is with truth. So what does God say about you?

#1 – You’re Made In His Image. Genesis 1:27 says, “so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female.” 

#2 – You are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away behold the new has come.” 

#3 – You are an extension of Christ. Galatians. 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life, I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

#4 – You are special. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

#5 –  You are an ambassador.  2 Corinthians 5:20, says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

What else does God say about you? He says you’re forgiven. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

My friends I could keep going on and on, but I want to challenge you to dive into God’s word for yourself to see for yourself what God says about you.  

Step #2 –  Determine what you say about you. We all have an external voice and that voice is often a parrot and it just repeats. What is heard the most often and the most loud, and this internal voice can be from God, demons,  parents, or partners.

If it’s been ingrained long enough it is likely a voice that sounds a lot like your own, my friend because you’ve rehearsed the lie so long you actually believe it. So what do you say about you? Do you think that you’re too far gone to be loved by God? Do you think that your looks are your most valuable asset?

In this episode we talk about what to do when you're bored in your relationship with God.


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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Have you ever been in a relationship that just got boring? So maybe the things you once did together are no longer thrilling.  The love doesn’t feel is electric. And what was once exciting is now, just Monday, maybe in the beginning, meeting for a cup of coffee was the highlight of your day and now it’s a major inconvenience. But what do you do when it happens with your relationship with God? What do you do when you’re bored with God? 

If you are in a place where you don’t sense God’s presence, your faith doesn’t have the same fire and you feel like you’re just going through the motions, maybe you read your Bible, you say your prayers, but it just all feels flat. There are some checkpoints that can help you to rekindle your relationship and these checkpoints are similar to the ones that we experienced. 

Like with your car, we have check lights for a lot of different issues. We have a check engine light, low gas light, open door lights, and the purpose of these check lights is to alert you to a problem and you could ignore these check lights but to your own peril. And the same applies to our spiritual check lights.


So, today I want to talk to you about four areas that you need to check if you find yourself bored with God.

Check #1 – Check your expectations. If you’re the type to say, “God, when are you going to and fill in the blank.” Why aren’t you and fill in the blank then? It’s possible that your expectations are off and you lost the point of your relationship. Look, it’s dangerous, it’s a dangerous place when a Christian reaches, a state of entitlement. Unfortunately, we often make our relationship with God all about us and what we get from it. Well, this doesn’t bode well in any relationship, especially with our Heavenly Father who has blessed us so abundantly, so if you find yourself constantly looking for experiences, encounters, miracles, blessings, or otherwise needing to be wowed by God, you’ve likely slipped into a state of expectation an unhealthy state of expectation in your relationship with him. If God is only exciting when he’s showing up and showing out in your life. There’s a problem.

Now, imagine that I came home every day from work and I expected my husband to just wow me. I expected him to provide me with an intense emotional connection. Wow me with even bigger surprises than yesterday and otherwise bend over backward to prove that he loves me. Wouldn’t that get old and exhausting? It would get incredibly exhausting for him and I would now become entitled because it’s now all about me. How much more are you going to be able to do? The truth is, we should be there for God, our prayer should not be that God what are you doing for me? But rather God, what do you want from me? Colossians 1:16, says it best, “for by him all things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.” Check number one, check your expectations.

Check #2 – Check your deposits.  What are you putting into the relationship, look you would never think that you could go to the bank and withdraw money from an account that you, never deposited into would you? While our relationship with God is not quite the same. We could never outgive God. And we certainly don’t have to earn our Salvation. What we get out of a relationship, however, is often linked to whatever we put into it. And there was a time in my Christian wal

In today's episode we talk about why demons won't leave.

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TRANSCRIPT 

Struggling under demonic influence, but perhaps you’ve prayed and maybe you’ve even gone for deliverance. But still, those demons won’t leave. Why will this question causes many to become insecure and begin to doubt the power of God in their lives? On one hand. You can feel totally defeated, but on the other hand, I know your desire is to live free. Well, my friend. Is possible. Christ’s finished work on the cross wasn’t for half healing or partial Deliverance. He came to set the captives free. And if you were still feeling captive to demonic forces, there are a few possibilities for this demonic intrusion.


Let’s talk today about five possible reasons why those demons won’t leave. 

#1 – Your Unbelief.  If your lack of faith can hinder a miracle, so it can also delay your demonic deliverance and Matthew 17:14-17, a man came to Jesus to heal his boy and Complain to Jesus that his disciples couldn’t do it. And here’s what Jesus said. He said, “Oh, faithless and twisted generation. How long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you bring him here to me.” Afterwards, the disciples asked Jesus, why they couldn’t cast this demon out. And here’s what Jesus said in return, “because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.”

It was because of their lack of faith and most people don’t associate this scripture with demonic influence, faith is needed to cast out demons faith by the one doing the deliverance and the one receiving it. If either is lacking in faith, just call it off because it’s not going to work, and oftentimes during deliverance demons will whisper, in the ears of either both the deliverance minister and the one suffering in the demonic oppression. They’ll whisper in their ears something that is going to discourage you.  Oh, you can’t do this. This isn’t real. The demon is too strong for you. And if you believe that what they are saying is true, you lack faith, your lack of faith will hinder your deliverance. Your ability to be delivered is directly connected to your faith. 

You see if you go into deliverance with this, alright, let me see if this works attitude. It’s not going to work. You’ve got to have faith, not in yourself, but in the mighty name of Jesus to set you free.

#2 – Your lack of prayer and fasting. In the same conversation as your unbelief, we see in the Mark 9 account, that when the disciples asked why they couldn’t cast this demon out. Jesus said this, “this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Petitioning God and denying the flesh doesn’t cast out demons. It brings greater breakthroughs and greater levels of belief. So this not only refers to praying and fasting. When you know, that, you’re going to be casting out demons, but I believe it’s referring more to having a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

Demons haven’t if the demons haven’t left my friend at war with courage, you go back, pray and fast. Because in the mighty name of Jesus, they got a flee.  

#3 – The door is still open.  The Apostle Paul warned the believers in Ephesus that they must not give place to the devil. You can’t rebuke a demon tha

In today's episode we talk about how to cleanse your home of demonic influence

Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

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TRANSCRIPT

We protect our home from physical intruders, but how much more should we protect it against spiritual intruders?  Today, we are talking about how to cleanse your house from demonic forces. We guard our homes against physical thieves, but are you taking measures to guard your home from demonic? These demons are spiritual burglars and there is a danger that the enemy is going to bring through your home. And if you are not guarding it, your front door is wide open for demonic forces to enter, and demons may not be able to possess you if you are a born-again believer, but they can enter in through objects, which then could influence, and infect your life and the life of your family.

Ephesians 4:27 says, “give no place for the devil.” This means that we don’t let him in our front door, back door, side window or even a crack in the foundation, and the enemy is always plotting and strategizing to get into you. And he would love nothing more than to infect the very place where you should feel safe secure and sane.

Like Adam, we are called you guard, and protect our environment but unfortunately, Adam didn’t take dominion over that snake and the rest is history and demons can attach themselves two objects. Did you know that?  Their first preference is human bodies, then they’re going to settle for animals, but if neither are available, they can attach themselves to objects, and once attached to an object, these demons eagerly await an open door to attach themselves to a person. Yes, someone living in your house, even if they don’t realize it and God never gives us a pass for ignorance. There are rules in the spirit realm and God is clear on how we can remain holy and keep demonic forces from infiltrating our lives. So I want you to join with me in Deuteronomy 7, starting in verse 25 and it says this, “you shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or gold, that is on them, nor take it for yourselves. Lest you be snared by it? For, it is an abomination to the Lord, your God, nor shall you bring an abomination into your house. Lest? You be doomed to destruction? Like it. You shall utterly? Detest it an utterly abhorrent for it is an accursed thing.”

Many Christians have brought idols and other works of evil into their homes without even realizing the harm and the curse that can potentially come with it.


So let’s talk today about some things that you’re going to need to remove from your house immediately if you want to cleanse it from demonic influence.

#1 – Entertainment.  Think about the first part of that word entertainment. It’s enter. That means we are opening ourselves up for things to enter into us. Think about this for a second. When you sit down to a movie, you are open to receiving what that movie produces, whether it’s fear or romance, belief, horror, entertainment.  Entertainment encompasses, everything from music to movies from books to video games. Nothing is off-limits for demons. And you’ll want to be careful not to have that entertainment that represents or glorify Satan in your house: horror, violence, perversion, lusts, and pornography. And yes, my friends that include romance novels, witchcraft, and magic, but you also want to be careful not to allow entertainment into your home. Even just from known artists that hav

In today's episode we talk about the 6 signs of a good christian counselor

Faithful Counseling
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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

So you are going through a rough patch and you think you might need some help?  Perhaps you’re struggling in a toxic relationship or you just suffered a bad breakup or maybe your negative thinking is finally catching up with you or perhaps, you just need a little direction for your next steps in life.

You want help but you also want someone who aligns with your faith. That’s where a Christian counselor can help. But like, in every profession, there are good ones, not-so-good ones. So, how do you know?

Well, today I want to talk to you about how you can find yourself a solid Christian, counselor to help you in your time of trouble.


But first, I want to share with you the six signs to indicate a good Christian counselor.

Now, I’m not just talking about the basics that all counselors need like the ability to listen and empathize or even professionalism like punctuality and boundaries. I am talking about the signs that are necessary to help you experience growth and breakthrough. Now, I want you to keep in mind that these are indications of a good counselor. These are not a guarantee, but these signs will certainly give you the confidence to move forward in the right direction.

#1 – They always come back to the original problem. Once someone begins counseling, it’s not uncommon for other issues to kind of present themselves and it’s okay for it to lead to a tangent, down a little bit of a rabbit trail, or even seem like it’s going down an unrelated road, but a good counselor will always circle back. 

#2 – They’re realistic. A good Christian counselor knows that we have both positive and negative emotions and they are realistic about what’s going on inside of you. They don’t have this Pollyanna everything is okay, here, take this scripture and call me in the morning, attitude. They understand the realities and the troubles of this life and how sin, and these troubles can bring. And they are able to walk with you through that journey.

#3 – They know when to talk, and when to listen. Counseling is a balance and there is no exact formula. There will be times when listening is necessary and they’re going to be other times when the professional input is called for. Some not-so-good counselors will talk at you the entire session. While other not-so-good counselors will just listen to listen so much that they aren’t considered much more than a rented friend. A good Christian counselor knows when to listen with understanding and when to interject.

#4 – They promote Independence and dependence, as well as interdependence. A good Christian counselor’s goal is not long-term therapy. Now, while this is needed in some cases. It should not, it shouldn’t be the norm. It’s usually the exception because what happens in long-term counseling is it creates a dependency on the counselor.

You see, a good counselor will teach a client to be independent for himself or herself, but also interdependent in the relationships that they’re in. But at the same time, also dependency on God, not on the counselor. 

#5 – The Bible is their benchmark. Whether your counselor is an LPC, a licensed, professional counselor, or an LCPC, a licensed clinical pastoral counselor, if they’re claiming to be a Christian counselor, the Bible should be their standard of measurement over any other secular tool.

Now, it’s not to say that these tools can’t help but you want this counselor to speak biblical truth into your life. And there’s a difference between a Christian counselor and a counselo

In today's episode we talk about the 3 signs that God is calling you to a higher level.

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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Do you sense God calling you to a higher level, but everything in your life says otherwise? Whether you’ve had a word spoken over you or you just sense the Holy Spirit moving through you, there’s likely a few shifts that are taking place to prepare you for breakthrough. 

So, today, I want to talk to you about three signs that God is calling you to a higher level.  When God moves you to the next level it frequently comes with the positions of Greater influence and blessings. And before you go getting excited you’re going to want to be careful that you are prepared for all those blessings. You see God is more concerned with your character than your comfort.


So if you sense that God desires to take you to a higher level, it’s likely that these three signs are taking place in your life.

#1 – He’s removing people. I hear this one from friends and clients alike. “I just keep losing friends.”  And it is almost like this desperate loneliness in their voice. And when pressed, they admit that these people actually weren’t all that great for them and in some cases, they didn’t even like them. But it was a warm body nonetheless and it stings when these people leave.

So here’s the thing, 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us that “bad company corrupts good morals.” God knows the people that are good for you and he knows the ones that are going to be a hindrance to your purpose. You cannot climb to higher levels with God while holding on to a reliance on wrong people. He may remove toxic relationships that you didn’t have the courage to remove. He may even remove relationships that seemed healthy, but God knows what’s best. The question is, “Will you trust him?”

If however, you are the type who is overly reliant on people toxic or not, God may begin to remove these people from your life since He wants to be your source and this can even refer to things being removed from your life. Oftentimes, we have an unhealthy attachment to things and people, look, God gave us things to have, not things to have us. People will often ask this question in a panic, “How much is going to be removed?” And the answer is, “I don’t know how much breakthrough do you want?”

#2 – You’re being disciplined.  Feel like others are getting away with things that are far worse than what you are doing? Feel like God has you on a short leash?  It’s certainly possible my friend and I would encourage you to not focus on what God is doing in others lives, but what he is doing in your life, Hebrews 12:5-6 says “my son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline and do not lose heart when he rebukes you because the Lord disciplines the one he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 

And Proverbs 3:12 says, “for the Lord’s disciplines, the one he loves just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.”  Look, as hard as it is to believe God’s discipline is because he loves us and he wants what’s best for us. He actually wants to take you to a higher level, but can’t do so with sin, coping mechanisms, and bad behavior otherwise holding you back.

When my daughter was younger I would have to discipline her for not taking care of her chores in the agreed-upon time frame and she would give me attitude and sometimes you just wouldn’t do the chore at all. And some may consider this typical teenage behavior and perhaps they would say, Awe

In today's episode we talk about how to change unwanted thoughts God's way.

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Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.


TRANSCRIPTS

We are talking about how to change unwanted thoughts. Everyone has intrusive thoughts from time to time. But what do you do when those thoughts can be the difference between life and death? Intrusive thoughts can range from the sudden discontentment in your marriage to vile images that are popping into your head. You don’t want them, but they seem to be taking over and God never intended for you to live your life in a mental state of slavery to your thoughts, to change your unwanted thoughts.

God’s way can set you free from the mental and emotional torment and set you on a path to true transformation.


So, how do you change unwanted thoughts? God’s way.

Step #1 – Recognize.  Mark 7:20 says, “what comes out of a person is what defiles him” and our minds have a clever and persistent way of convincing us that something is true when it isn’t or vice versa.

And in this step, there are two things that I want you to recognize:

#1 – Where is this coming from? Is it coming from God, Satan, or yourself? It’s doubtful that it’s coming from God. If it’s bringing destruction into your life unless you’re misinterpreting convicting, thoughts for destructive thoughts, convicting, thoughts are meant to lead you to repentance. And if that’s not it, then it’s coming from Satan or yourself.  And if it’s a thought that you’ve never had before or a reaction that you’ve never experienced. It’s possible that it is coming from Satan and you need to just rebuke and resist it. But if you have been fighting this a long time, then my friend. It’s likely you, meaning that the voice of a parent, an old partner, or your own habitual thoughts are playing into this dynamic. Believe me, my friend, this is actually good news because it puts you into a better position than you think.

#2 – The second thing that is important to recognize is what’s going on inside of you. No one can make you feel think or react any way that you don’t want to. So in order to overcome inappropriate reactions, you must recognize what is being triggered in you. I know it’s tempting to blame your friends who are always using you and that’s why you get so upset with him or her, but that’s not going to help with your healing. Instead, it will be helpful to consider the co-dependency, people-pleasing traits that are driving you to meet the needs of self-centered friends. Make sense? The first step in improving your reaction is to recognize the lies that are invading your mind.

Step #2 – Repent. Me?  Repent? You say what do I need to repent of, they are the ones who make me feel insecure and they are the ones who are driving me crazy. But the truth is, we are all responsible for our reactions. Better said your response is your responsibility and I used to do a lot of marriage counseling in the past and the most toxic spiral that I would see couples go down is the, you made me tunnel. If you didn’t do this, I wouldn’t have done this to you justifying. You made me feel so angry, which is why I punched the wall,  blame-shifting.

Romans 14:12 is so clear when it says, “so then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

In other words, own your reaction. If it was inappropriate own it, repent of it. If your thoughts are not Life-Giving repent of it. If your reactions contribute to the toxic tango, repent of your parts. Don’t worry about what the other person does. Their bad behavior doesn’t excuse

Have you ever wondered, is this the devil tempting me, God testing me or is it just me?
That's the question we answer in today's episode.

Ready to grow in your faith? Grab your FREE Mountain Moving Faith 5 Day Devotional  https://krisreece.com/5-day-faith-devotional-series/

Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Have you ever asked yourself the question? “Is this the devil tempting me, God testing me, or is it just me?”

Well, that’s the question that we’re going to answer 1 Peter, 5:8 reminds us to “be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking, whom he can devour.”

And there is no doubt that the enemy’s purpose has always and always will be the same to kill, steal, and destroy. So it is wise for us as believers to always be armed to resist and fight against his schemes. But the trials and the troubles that we go through in this life can be many. And many times they can be intense. So how do we know if it’s the devil attacking, God refining, or a result of the consequence of our sin?

And if we don’t carefully discern the difference, the plan that we put in place could be completely fruitless at best and at worst, get us actually into deeper trouble.


So let’s talk today about how to discern whether your troubles are from God, the devil, or just you.

So let’s start with God. There are two extreme schools of thought when it comes to the troubles of God. Some will say that the bad things that happen to people in life are a direct result of sin and usually their sin. You have trouble you must have done something wrong somewhere along the line to deserve it. And to think to this extreme actually removes God’s grace and mercy. The other group will say that because God is love that he doesn’t want to see us in pain or discomfort.

So, therefore, there is no way that this could be coming from God. To think to this extreme actually removes God’s justice and righteousness. You see Jesus was clear in John 16:33 when he said, “I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

It is, however, difficult to see that some of our let’s call them issues, could be from God, meaning that he is actually orchestrating this on purpose. But if we believe that God is good and He wants nothing but good for our lives, then it is reasonable to assume that He would sometimes bring us through challenges that can lead us to greater victory.

How is their victory without a challenge? How is there a mountaintop without a valley? How is their faith with no trial?

God can and will use testing in trials for a number of reasons.

The least of which is to grow you in godly character and grow your faith in Him. Not too long ago, asked me how to rebuke the devil for bringing all these toxic people into her life. And what she failed to recognize is that it was God actually putting her in those situations to strengthen and grow her. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to “be thankful in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

So what’s the solution? If you want to be in the perfect will of God don’t rebuke God’s correction, discipline, and direction instead submit yourself to it. He is Sovereign, He can be trusted and be thankful. No, you don’t have to pretend to be happy about the circumstances. But you can rejoice in knowing that He will use whatever you’re going through for your good and for His glory.

The next is the flesh. Did you know that it’s the flesh that causes people to backslide?

Matthew 26:41 reminds us that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is we

Do you ever wish God would just shut off your brain?  In this episode we are talking about how to stop overthinking.
Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Do you ever wish God would just shut off your brain? We are talking about how to stop overthinking. Romans 12:2 reminds us “to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.”

And here’s what I realized. We all want the transformation. We attend transformational workshops and seminars in books and such, but the truth is that God brings the transformation, but we also tend to leave the mind renewal part up to God as well. But the truth is this is how our mind and just like God won’t move your hand for you we’ve been given the ability to discipline our mind and therefore participate with God in his plan of renewal. The part of renewing, our minds includes dealing with overthinking, otherwise known as ruminating.  Regardless of what you call it, it’s a Time Bandit and you know what it feels like, your mind runs wild, it’s spinning out of control with the constant what-ifs and should have, could have, would his, and then next thing, you know days and even years have slipped by and you’ve made no profit of progress.

This can’t be Godly and you would be right. It’s not. And many will look to overthinking and say, I know, I know I just have to stop thinking so much and to that  I would say, that’s not the answer. You see, God has given you an active mind, and shutting it down, shouldn’t be the option. You see, the problem is not that you’re thinking, the problem is what you’re thinking about.

So, unfortunately, God is not going to shut off our brains, but He has given us all the tools that we need to help in the renewal process. So how do we stop the dreaded overthinking?


Let’s look at 4 Biblical steps to take to stop that mental spiral in your head.

Step # 1 – To reveal. Before you can deal with spiraling thoughts, you have got to be aware of them. And I love the way the Psalmist David asked the Lord in Psalm 139:23. He said, “search me O God and know my heart,  test me and know my anxious thoughts.” 

God is faithful to reveal anything ungodly in your life. And we must look at toxic unproductive spiraling thoughts as ungodly. So pray and ask God to reveal you’re overthinking anxious thoughts and I assure you, my friend, He will. But be prepared though. He may reveal them in ways that you didn’t expect like your reactions. Yes, our reactions reveal a lot about what’s going on inside of us.

Step #2 Refocus.  2 Corinthians 10:5 reminds us that we are “to demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

So the question is, What are you doing with the thoughts that are coming into your head? If you’re allowing them to run wild with no accountability, you my friend are susceptible to demonic deception, and the clarity that you so long for is going to elude you.

Instead, ask yourself is this in line with Biblical truth?

Step #3 – Rethink.  2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that “all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, and for training in righteousness.” So, when ruminating thoughts, invade your mind, you’ll want to search the Scriptures for what the Bible says about. Your particular situation or what you’re thinking about because you want to know the truth. Now, when I say your situation, I don’t so much mean what you were thinking about. Scripture isn’t always going to tell you exactly what to do, about your specific situation.

But much of our overthinking has a very strong emotion attached to it. For example, fear th