Inside Out: A 40 Day Journey to Transforming Your HeartSample

Anxious Heart --> Peace-Filled Heart

Anxiety affects 40 million Americans each year. Anxiety has risen due to the COVID pandemic, loss of jobs, political unrest, and social injustices. Fear, worry, and unease have increased in our current cultural climate. When unchecked, these feelings can affect our ability to function in everyday life. We might avoid certain situations or activities because they make us feel anxious. We have trouble concentrating on tasks or staying focused on the present. It becomes challenging to make decisions. We may have irrational fears about situations. Anxiety can lead to physical ailments like chest pains, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, frequent headaches, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue.

To stop anxiety, we must learn where it begins. Anxieties begin with our thoughts. When we continually meditate on something, we may start to feel unsafe, uncertain, and uncomfortable. We are thinking about things that we cannot have control over. This can lead us to down spiral in our thinking from one scenario to the next. Getting stuck in our thoughts and our feelings can consume us. Our hearts beat faster than they should. Blood pressure goes up. Our bodies are on high alert. We stop functioning in a calm, rational way. This can never be God’s will for us.

God’s will for us is to be strong in Him when things seem to unravel and are uncontrollable in life. He wants us to remember that He is in control, and He will save us from whatever situation we are experiencing. The prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 35:4, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’” God can save us from our anxiety. But where do we begin?

When anxiety arises, do we inwardly focus on it, or do we take action to overcome it? We must stop meditating on things that cause anxiety. But how do we stop thinking about those things? We must fill our minds with God, His Word, and what is true. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Start reading the Bible. Reading aloud can help us hear God’s words over our invading thoughts. The more we read the Word, the more we will trust God, and He will overwhelm our hearts with His peace. Let me say that again. We can be overwhelmed with peace! God can give us a supernatural peace that we cannot receive elsewhere.

As we meditate on God and His Word, we need to cry out to God to renew our minds and think about what He wants us to think. Philippians 4:6-9 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, (Can you believe He says anything?) but in everything (every single thought or concern) by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. When we do this, look what happens. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. He will guard our feelings and our thoughts! But what should we be thinking about? Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” This is a promise. When we intentionally practice controlling our thoughts by focusing on what is true, God’s peace will be with us. Not only will God pour His peace over us, but He will also guard our hearts and minds against whatever we’ve been feeling or thinking that is destroying our peace!

This world will bring us twists and turns we aren’t ready for emotionally. There are situations we can’t solve or think about clearly. In those moments, we must stop trying to be God and allow God to take back control of our minds, of our emotions, and our lives. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In this fallen world, peace is not attainable unless we allow Christ to rule in our hearts. This means we are submitting our life to the ways of Christ found in the Bible. Psalm 119:165 promises, “Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble.” Internal peace comes when we know we are walking in His will by obeying and pleasing Him.

Peace comes when we have a trusting relationship with the Lord by intimately knowing Him. We trust He loves us, is with us, will guide and protect us, and has ultimate victory over all things. Trust dissolves our anxiety, giving us peace of mind and peace of emotions throughout the uncertain times in life. Let us take our thoughts captive, trust in God’s promises and see how He will overwhelm us from the inside out with His peace. It truly surpasses all understanding!

Take a Moment:

• What thoughts, when kept unchecked, create anxiety in your life?

• How can you be more intentional to focus on God and His Word when anxiety creeps in to have better control over your thoughts?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please bless me and keep me. Make Your face shine upon me and be gracious to me. Take away my anxiety. Help me to focus on You. Help me to think about what is good, pure, and lovely. Help me to trust You so that I have peace that surpasses all understanding in my heart. Amen.