From Anxiety to Abiding: 7 Days to PeaceMostra

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Have you noticed, when we feel good and our life is going well, we easily talk about God? We love to sing to and about Him, and we look for opportunities to talk to others about His goodness! Well, guess who doesn’t want you doing any of that?

That’s right, the enemy.

When we’re suffering, when our lives are difficult and everything seems to be falling apart, talking about God feels like the last thing we want to do. Maybe we’re even experiencing anger at Him, and praying to Him is out of the question. And singing? Forget it. We barely have the energy to get out of bed and face the trials before us, let alone sing.

Knowing it is our enemy who wants us quiet, is the exact reason we must do it anyway. We have to, if we would gain any control over the anxiety we feel. It’s exactly what we need if we want to find victory.

When we hear, “Praise God in every circumstance”, it is not a command to “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps”--not at all! In fact, we know we cannot win victory over this enemy by ourselves. If you’ve struggled with anxiety, you know that very well. But by acknowledging the truth that our enemy will use anything to keep us from talking about and to God, we begin to fight back and beat him at his game. When we pray to God anyway, when we talk about the goodness we know of Him anyway, we quickly silence the serpent in his tactic to keep us quiet.

In the midst of anxiety, it can feel like doing anything else is outside of our capacity. That’s why practicing the tools we’ve learned this week when we’re feeling well, strengthens our muscles when we need them most. It is much like praying to God, praising and speaking about His goodness when we feel good, because we need to remember it when we don’t. We train the muscles, just like we would train for a sport or running, or a new skill, in order that we can access it on the days that are difficult.

Remember once more that anxiety is a necessary part of our brains and nervous system. When you are at the park with your children and you hear a tornado siren, you need to know there is a potential danger and your body needs to move quickly! When you’re in your car and you hear screeching tires and see red lights, you need to know how to push the brake or get out of harm’s way, fast! Remember, Cherie Snyder said, “Anxiety is not what’s wrong with you, it’s what’s right with you.”

This can cause confusion when Jesus tells us not to be afraid, when we consider that our bodies were made to warn us of fear and danger. Instead, we need to hear Jesus’ words as “I am the way out of fear. You do not have to be afraid in my presence, or with me, because there is no fear (no anxiety, no danger) with me.”

As we have begun tuning into our bodies and experiences, we have opened the door for Jesus to bring healing. Now, we must be armed with the Truth, in order to keep combatting the lies that will try and keep us from that healing. It would benefit you to have a few Bible verses you can easily remember, and a few songs that bring to mind His goodness. I’ve listed a few examples below.

Remember, the serpent started by getting Eve to question God’s love for her (anxiety = the fear of being unloved), and he will continue to use that tactic in any way he can. If he can get you to doubt God’s love, he can get you not only to turn against God, but also to stop talking about Him. So we arm ourselves to fight back, to remind ourselves that we are deeply loved in all circumstances because we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. (When God sees you–even in your anxiety and fear–He sees only the blood of Jesus! The very face and love and compassion of Jesus. He extends His mercy–except on your enemy! He crushes your enemy’s head!)

I don’t know all that you are facing today, and I don’t know how long you’ve been fighting with anxiety, but I do know that God is our Deliverer, He is our Defender, and He is about our rescue. It may not always look the way we think it will, but I promise you there is a way out of all-consuming anxiety, right at the place you’re in.

Parenting Tip: Teach your children how to acknowledge their anxiety in healthy ways. If they are experiencing intense feelings due to a real threat (cars honking, weather sirens, a dog barking), remind them that their body is working to keep them safe! When they feel this way during a “false” threat, they can better recognize the situation as safe, and work to calm their bodies and minds.

Armed for Battle

Sample Verses:

‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline’. (God does not bring Fear, but gives us the ‘power’ to reign over fear, love to wash away fear, and self-discipline to not cycle into ‘Protection’–Hide). 2 Timothy 1:7

‘Do not be afraid , for I am with you; Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (Yesterday we noted Isaiah 61:10–I will celebrate and praise my God, for I am clothed, wonderfully and beautifully–I am loved and safe!”)

“I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.” Jeremiah 31:25

Songs:

Freedom by Francesca Battistelli

Spoken For by MercyMe

Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham