by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

My husband has this baffling ability to say goodnight and then go to sleep. Just like that. Right to sleep. Practically on demand. Does anyone else feel like he has some explaining to do? What is this superpower? What kind of surgery would I need to have to get it? Furthermore, how is he able to work all his overthinking into his schedule? What, he covers it all during the day? That seems impractical.

The other night I found myself lying awake, wondering what someone thought about something I’d said. Let me try to make this clear. I was thinking…about what the person was thinking…I might’ve been thinking. Overthought it much, me?

I’ve been think-think-thinking lately, wondering if overthinking is just a fancy rebranding of worry. I’ve been thinking, rethinking, very possibly overthinking.

Not that rethinking and overthinking are the same. If you think there’s something wrong with rethinking, think again (see what I did there?). Rethinking is wise. Considering the right move, evaluating a past one, weighing options—that’s all good.

Overthinking, on the other hand, is getting stuck in woulda, shoulda, what-ifs, and whys, analyzing and reanalyzing the same thoughts, situations, and interactions—past, present, and future—and obsessing about the outcome. It’s that kind of overthinking that can trap us in all kinds of worry and the highest anxiety. It can freeze up our decision-making abilities.

So how can an overthinker become an overcomer? Psalm 27:1, 14 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—whom should I dread? Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord” (CSB). Feeding our thought-life these truths sends our thoughts down a good path. And I have to say it: good “thinks” come to those who wait.

We overcome as we understand where strength and courage come from, and as we lean hard on the all-powerful God, knowing He is our stronghold. Then we get it. We know there’s no need to dread. No need to fear. We can wait for Him to work. Oh the true trust of waiting patiently for the Lord.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB). Trust. Not relying on our own understanding—our own thinking and overthinking. Our spirits, psyches, and bodies were not built to handle the heavy load of trying to fenagle or fend off every problem or predict every dark possibility. Instead of carrying all that anxiety, we have the glorious joy of casting it instead. “Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 CSB). The Amplified tags those cares as “all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns.”

Focusing our thoughts on the beautiful trustworthiness of our faithful, loving God crowds out the anxiety and makes room for peace and lasting joy. Could I even say that “a think of beauty is a joy forever”? We can rest well in peace-and-joy thinking. Practically on demand, really. All night long.

Rhonda Rhea is an award-winning humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway, and many more. She is the author of 19 books, including the popular romantic comedies co-authored with her daughter Kaley Rhea, Off-Script & Over-Caffeinated and Turtles in the Road. Rhonda and Kaley have also teamed up with Bridges TV host Monica Schmelter for the Messy to Meaningful books and TV projects. Along with Beth Duewel, Rhonda writes the Fix Her Upper series, and she also co-authored Unruffled: Thriving in Chaos with Edie Melson. She speaks at conferences and events from coast to coast, serves on many boards and committees, and stays busy as a publishing consultant. Rhonda says you can find her living near St. Louis drinking too much coffee and snort-laughing with her pastor/husband, five grown children, and a growing collection of the most exceptional grandbabies.