From Anxiety to Abiding: 7 Days to PeaceMostra

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness. Isaiah 61:10a

When my four year old had a panic attack, the first he’d ever experienced, I knew that’s what it was because of my own panic attacks as a child. It looked, sounded, and felt just like mine. Oftentimes, anxiety comes in huge, all-consuming waves, and suddenly our breathing is hurried and labored, our heart rate is racing away uncontrollably, and our thoughts are jumbled and unclear. My son kept saying, “I can’t stop!” And we all, who have experienced intense anxiety, could echo the same sentiment, “I can’t make my anxiety stop!” And remember, we don’t want to shut off our “danger detector”; we want to better understand it, and therefore, not be overcome by it.

Once more, let’s go back to the Garden of Eden. The first thing that happens to Eve is that she is “convinced” by the serpent that God isn’t as good as she thinks, so she takes control by eating from the tree God warned her about. After that, she and Adam “see that they are naked (uncovered, unprotected)”, and they protect themselves by creating a covering for themselves (the fig leaf), and then they hide. (Genesis 3, paraphrased)

“I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid,” says Adam. (v. 10)

We experience the same cycle of Fear–Protect–Hide: we become afraid of either a real or perceived threat, and then afraid of being unprotected (or unloved). We then construct a way to protect ourselves from this fear (‘fight or flight’), and we hide (freeze). In our hiding, we then become more afraid, even ashamed, just as Adam did. Eve was first afraid of being unloved by God, and once they were in hiding, they became afraid of God again–of His punishment or reprimand (lack of love).

Protection is rooted in shame, which is defined as “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the ‘knowing’ of our wrong or foolish behavior”. Eve experienced shame after she believed the lie and let fear take hold of her, instead of taking hold of the Word of God. Notice in our own anxiety that we experience fear and racing thoughts (“maybe I am unprotected”), and we turn to ways of protecting and covering ourselves, which then guards us from the love and protection of God.

However, when God intervenes in Adam and Eve’s fear, there is a different outcome. God reverses the entire scenario and asks them who “told them they were naked?” (uncovered, unprotected, verse 11) He is taking them back to the moment of the lie and uncovering the lie, so He can replace it.

But wait, you say, they did receive a punishment! We immediately read “the curses” of Adam and Eve, and we feel afraid. Instead, let’s read these as “consequences”, just like our kids experience. God is expressing the anguish we will experience in our callings—work and dominion for the man, and relationships for the woman. It is the result of letting our hearts stray from God. But then, God actually clothes Adam and Eve (v. 21) by wrapping them in a new protection and covering; they are no longer naked. This is the same He’ll do with Jesus later on, when He wraps us in an eternal protection and covering by His righteous blood.

God reverses the Fear–Shame–Hide cycle, by drawing near and asking us what has happened, what has deceived us. When we identify the fear, God “crushes” our enemy!! (Notice that Adam and Eve do not receive a consequence of destruction, but the serpent does. In fact, God does not delight in the destruction of His people! Eze. 18:23) As you become more aware of your senses and the experiences in your body, you can then ask yourself, “what am I afraid of? Who told me this was true?”

Parenting Tip: As with adults, it can be difficult for a child to pinpoint what is making them feel afraid. Utilize the Mindfulness practice, and draw near to your child, just as God does for us. Hold their hands, rub or scratch their back, or hold them close (Touch); hum or sing a song (Hear); provide essential oils or a calming scent nearby (Smell); give them a glass of cold water, which alerts or wakes up the nervous system (Taste); and/or have them look in your eyes, look at a picture they enjoy (See). You can do for them as the Father does for us, and remind them of the truth that contradicts lies.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we thank you, again, for the ways our bodies are made wonderfully by You, and we thank You for the ways You have clothed us, comforted us, and drawn near to us, even in our believing the lies of the Enemy, the deceit of the serpent. We ask You to intervene by reminding us of Truth today. Replace the lies with Truth.

Amen.