Paul said it correctly when he wrote: We are taking captive vain imaginations and everything that sets itself up against God's knowledge.

What can we identify as vain imaginations?

• Worrying about things that haven't happened yet.
• Worrying about harm coming to those we love.
• Worrying about how to pay the bills after we've identified the problem.
• Worrying about the economy.
• Worrying about crime in our city.
• Worrying about the end of the world.
• Worrying about past sin that we've already confessed to God and asked forgiveness for.
• Being anxious about job security.
• Being anxious about our health.
• Being anxious about our safety.
• Being anxious about what others think about us.

Once we have identified a real problem, we then look at our options, make a decision on a course of action to deal with the problem, and then we get busy taking care of other things in life. To continue to dwell on the problem is vain imagination.

The more we "second guess" ourselves and our decisions, the worse our decisions become. Worry and anxiety are really symptoms of a mind that refuses to accept responsibility for a decision, and move on dealing with reality. Reality is not found in worry and anxiety.

The best teacher of positive thinking - Jesus of Nazareth - said:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6.25-34

So, get control of your mind - your thought life:

• Identify the problem
• Consider the options; the solutions to the problem
• Make a decision on the best course of action
• Having done all you can do with that problem, move on with life
• Get busy with other things, and get your mind off of the problem .. you have done all you can!