Striking Down Anxiety’s Lies

Anxiety lies to us. It makes us feel weird in our bodies, fills us with fear and shame, and isolates us. Like a schoolyard bully, it torments us daily by telling us things like, God doesn’t care about you, disaster is inevitable, you can’t escape it, and you can’t trust anyone.

Anxiety isn’t rooted in truth. An anxious mind is a mind that has fallen for lies about yourself, your circumstances, your future, and about God. Those lies disguise themselves in our imaginations and can feel like realistic scenarios.

But we can combat anxiety’s lies with the help of the Holy Spirit and with the power of Scripture.

Let the truths from God’s Word realign your thoughts so you can experience greater freedom and joy. Here are four truths you can embrace today:

• God loves me and he cares. Do you believe that God loves you unconditionally? He does! God loves you so much. And he cares about what you’re going through. He wants to be your place of safety and refuge. As you come to understand and embrace God’s love for you, fear will stop tormenting you because there is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear (1 John 4:18).
• God is in control. Anxiety comes when we can’t control our circumstances and forget to trust God. But God is sovereign, and he rules with wisdom. Despite appearances, we can trust that God is in control and that he never stops paying attention (Psalm 121:4).
• God will never abandon me. Anxiety wants us to believe we are very much alone in our circumstances. But God promises he will not leave us nor abandon us (Deuteronomy 31:6). In every season, whatever situation we face, he is with us every step of the way. Knowing that God is always with you and that you don’t have to face anything alone will bring you peace.
• God has my good in mind. When facing difficult circumstances, we may be tempted to believe that God isn’t on our side. If God is for me, how can he allow bad things to happen to me? But Scripture reminds us that God is always at work for the good of everyone one who loves him (Romans 8:28). God is good and it is his character to be good to you. Even when circumstances don’t seem to change, God is still working in you to produce faith, hope, and trust through every storm of life.

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, I know you love me and care for me and so today I begin to wean myself from worry. My trust in you is growing. Even when things are uncertain, I will place my hope in you and your good purposes for my life. Help me break false patterns of thinking and lead me on your path of truth. In Jesus’s name. Amen.