I am talking to you–yes, you. You know who you are. You are scared and anxious. Your heart is heavy. It is a struggle to get through each day carrying around your worries and fears. Or, maybe you have convinced yourself that everything is fine, yet there is a nagging sense that it’s really not. You are trying to come to grips with the possibility that the rest of your life might be like this. You have always considered yourself a fairly optimistic person, but now you may be starting to lose hope. You wonder if this is what despair is like.
Want to know why you are feeling this way? Want it to stop? If you are nodding your head yes, keep reading. The reason you are feeling this way is because you are putting all your faith and trust in yourself. Oh, sure, in your head you may be telling yourself that you are trusting God, but deep down you really are still putting all your faith in you. You reach out to God like you play the lottery, hoping you will hit it big and all your problems will disappear, all the while mentally preparing yourself to do it all on your own. Unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways.
Putting all your trust in yourself is the source of anxiety and fear. While your conscious mind might be psyching you up to believe that you can handle everything on your own, deep down you know you can’t. The anxiety and fear you experience are the symptoms of this internal conflict. To find peace, acknowledge (even say out loud) that you can’t do it on your own, that you don’t know what to do, and that you really need help. Then, (here’s the important part) surrender control of your life over to Christ. Give Him every single bit and piece of your life–every worry, every fear, every pain, and every dream. Throw yourself at His feet and grab hold and never let go. He GUARANTEES (that’s a pretty strong word) that He will never let you down. Once you really trust in Him and not yourself, peace will begin to flow through your life like a river. I am not saying that suddenly everything will become a piece of cake. No, what I am saying is that when you put all your trust in Christ, you are aligning your life with the reality that you are not God and that you need the One who made you to fully live. Living that Truth creates a relationship, and in that relationship is peace.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
Originally posted 2014-06-04 06:00:30.
Thank you for sending this email out today. I literally went through this same experience of fear and anxiety this morning about being forced to sell my home that has been the only home my 2 young children have ever known. My ex even knows that I was laid off my job and I am unemployed. I openly said out loud to God this morning that I can’t do all of this by myself, I don’t know how I am going to get the house ready, and I need help! Help came immediately in a way I never thought possible. I cried like a river and then I felt the peace settle in. I still have a lot of major preparations to take care of with no money left in my bank account, no one physically helping me, but I now have the peace and trust that everything will work out with God’s help.
Dear Kathy,
I am praying for you. Moving can be so stressful. Especially with your lack of funds. Your story touched me because two years ago I was forced out of my home due to divorce. I’m saying prayers that wherever you are he will send people to assist you in the preparation to move and in the move itself as well as financial blessings. In Jesus name I pray Amen.
Last night I was worried about my daughter which is normal as she struggles with severe mental illness and other physical health problems. I imagined my emotions of anxiety as a wave coming against me but it was more like a tsunami. However, the waves fell of me I was protected because I also imagined Jesus was holding on to me. Sometimes these mental images can help those struggling with anxiety. In addition to anxiety being due to lack of faith and trust in God to handle our problems, it is also a focus on external pressures around us rather than on the pain and suffering we are feeling. We worry about others, finances, the future etc and fight to feel the internal pain and present that completely to Christ.
Last night I was worried about my daughter which is normal as she struggles with severe mental illness and other physical health problems. I imagined my emotions of anxiety as a wave coming against me but it was more like a tsunami. However, the waves fell of me I was protected because I also imagined Jesus was holding on to me. Sometimes these mental images can help those struggling with anxiety. In addition to anxiety being due to lack of faith and trust in God to handle our problems, it is also a focus on external pressures around us rather than on the pain and suffering we are feeling. We worry about others, finances, the future etc and fight against acknowledging and allowing ourself to feel the internal pain. First we must acknowledge our fears and anxiety then we must present that completely to Christ.