Talking myself into anxiety

May 6, 2026

Maria Anxiety, Conviction, God's Word, Proverbs 18, Words , Leave a comment

“. . . a man is satisfied by the yield of his lips . . . Death and life are in the power of the tongue . . .” — Proverbs 18:20–21 ESV

Our upcoming trip to Italy is something we have been planning and looking forward to since January. Yet, as we draw closer to departure, we are experiencing some anxiety. Air travel in recent years seems to have grown more stressful. I catch myself imagining delays.

But then, by grace, I find myself remembering that the past has no power over the future. I’m usually able to substitute a hope-filled thought such as, “But what if it’s wonderful!”

The other night, I was confronted by God regarding a deeper issue, one that lies beneath the surface of this travel unease. Pulling up the covers, I nestled down into bed, slowed my breathing, and initiated my inner conversation with the Lord. Usually, I affirm all His goodness, giving thanks for His providence that day. This particular night, the Spirit convicted me. He spotlighted how I had spoken out loud to our son and my sister-in-law, describing my sense of vulnerability and fragility in the face of travel. On this trip, once again, we will be out of our comfort zone—navigating Italian roads, meeting Airbnb hosts, finding grocery stores, following quirky directions as we explore, and using the language.

God interrupted my moment of thanksgiving with this thought: “Why talk about what you don’t want, Maria? Don’t you know that death and life are in the power of the tongue?”

I almost gasped with the realization that He was describing exactly what I had done. With clarity, I could see how careless I have grown in uttering the negative—not that we are to be Pollyannas—no. But to proclaim or announce circumstances I don’t want? Studies show that the words each of us speaks aloud carry weight, and our ears and hearts receive them.

The following morning, enjoying coffee with the Lord, I noted in my prayer journal what had happened and asked for help to change—not just my words, but my thoughts as well.

I located where Solomon mentions the power of our vocalized beliefs. The prior verse convinced me all the more of just how powerful my lips can be. Better to declare God’s Word than my thoughts. I can either enjoy a feast of goodness or live on a beggar’s ration.

Fighting back against harmful thoughts

December 29, 2025

Maria Philippians 4, Proverbs 18, Proverbs 23, Proverbs 4, Spiritual Warfare, Truth , , , , , Leave a comment

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. Proverbs 23:7 NASB
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true… Philippians 4:8 NLT

As I reflect back over the year 2025, I give thanks for the defensive spiritual weapons the Lord has given me to fight back against the foul spirits directed by Satan. The essence of these biblical truths and commands above, together with some cultural adages, have served me well.

You do know we are engaged in a cosmic war, right? As those who have been transferred out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness and into God’s bright kingdom of light and righteousness, we are constantly under attack.

Last week, on Christmas Eve day, I battled jealousy on and off until mid-afternoon. Current photos our daughter-in-law posted of her four children delighting in some curated fun with “the other grandparents” triggered me to conclude that they are “the better grandparents.” It also didn’t help that we were not around family, although we had recently spent most of Thanksgiving week with all six of our grandkids.

So, how did I fight back?

All I can say is that I kept at it. I didn’t stop battling. I alternated between confessing my sinful thoughts and thanking God for these other loving grandparents who live closer and can lavish attention and gifts on them more frequently than we can.

What helped most was uttering out loud to Maria, “The story I’m telling myself is…,” as well as reminding myself of the many times we, too, have planned fun experiences, building strong bonds and creating. Finally, Satan let up, and my heart (thoughts) returned to a state of peace.

In 2025, “the story I’m telling myself” has served as my go-to shield. I wield this defensive weapon whenever I find myself succumbing to harmful thinking. At times when Mike articulates a negative script about his circumstances, I will remind him to choose a different possible story. Yes, we are able, through God’s Spirit, to select what we know to be true and not draw damaging conclusions from our imaginations.

On Thursday, I was just feeling sorry for myself, and Satan toyed with me.

Scripture teaches us that God has endowed ALL believers with the gift of sound, or logical, thinking (2 Timothy 1:7), and He expects us to use this gift—to practice it.

As the verses above show, we are commanded to keep guard over our thought lives (our hearts). I’m sure you’ve heard Proverbs 18:21 multiple times, reminding us that life and death are in the power of tongue. What we think and say to ourselves DOES matter.

My only goal for 2026 is to work on my heart. I am praying that daily, with intentionality, I will weed the garden of my heart. I’m counting on God’s Word and some curated self-talk to keep my armor in shape.

By the way, I haven’t forgotten one other self-talk help in my arsenal—the title of the book What If It’s Wonderful? by Nicole Zasowski. I use these four words whenever I catch myself, out of fear, futurizing “the worst possible scenario.”

How do you fight back with God’s help?