Recognizing the Stronghold

For years, it would baffle me when a friend would mention that their ‘anxiety would flare up’ in certain social situations. To me, it meant that they would perhaps feel nervous around people, or that they’d get a feeling of uncomfortability that would probably pass after a few minutes. The verbage was something I struggled to identify with, mainly because I didn’t realize that their language of ‘anxiety flaring up’ was my definition of being ‘stressed out.’ Our language was different, but the feeling was the same.

As I engaged more in conversation, I realized that my friend's problems I would’ve previously said, “This’ll pass!” to were actually feelings I struggled with myself. I just had little awareness and even fewer tools to overcome. Anxiety, at its’ core, most often refers to an incessant worry or apprehension about what is to come. It’s a fear that surrounds uncertain possibilities or outcomes and affects the way we think and behave. We’ve all experienced that inexplicable and overwhelming feeling of dread in the pit of our stomach; a feeling that we can’t seem to shake off no matter how hard we try. We simply overthink, imagine the worst possible scenarios, and suffer at the hands of those fictional thoughts. It cripples our overall happiness, and can impact our external relationships.

The first step in overcoming habitual anxiety is to have awareness that it exists as a stronghold in your life. I can hear many of you saying, ‘That’s a no brainer for me!’ behind your screens. You get it, but verbalizing that its’ a stronghold is acknowledging to yourself and to God that it’s not welcome in your life. Sometimes we just assume that it is a natural response to any new, overwhelming, or unusual circumstance. While this may be true for you now, it does not have to remain this way. It does not have to be a way of life. Recognizing anxiety as bondage is the most crucial step in living a life of freedom and liberation.

Once we’ve identified this, what comes next? This form of fear can not possibly be our holy portion as believers. Nonetheless, in the Word of God, we see relatable characters personified. It’s not the stories of perfect and exemplary men and women who achieved great things, but rather the stories of flawed, ordinary individuals who went on to accomplish extraordinary feats because they chose to depend on God rather than their own strength. God uses people like them, and even stumbling and broken people like us, to show that He alone can turn things around. Experiencing anxiety is not abnormal, but how we respond to it is a choice; a choice to practice dependence on the Lord. With time and repetition, that route becomes second nature and our character reflects His; the Prince of Peace.

Reflection

You may be reading this plan because you’ve noticed a pattern of anxiety in your life already; after all, we all deal with stress unless we’re living in a bubble and have no contact with the outside world. Write down a few ways that you know when you’re anxious. How do your body and mind usually respond? Acknowledge these feelings to the Lord, and ask Him for His perspective.