Day 7: Anxiety + Fear

Fear is a crazy thing. I've experienced fear in different ways throughout my life ranging from the extreme of surviving a deadly earthquake, to the more day-to-day of terrible anxiety that made travelling in a car for several months frankly, a nightmare. Fear can come in all shapes and forms, and if you're human, you for sure a) experience it and b) avoid it at all costs.

If you've read the Bible, you know you aren't alone in experiencing anxiety/fear. 'Do not be afraid,' appears repeatedly in scripture - but even once would be enough for us to find a promise in it from God for every day of our lives.

I find that when I experience the most intense anxiety or fear, it's usually because I'm imagining a future without God in it. For example, I might feel fear that I won't get the job I applied for... which might highlight my inability to trust that God has the right career doors open for me. Or I may feel anxiety around my relationship with a friend, worrying that it can't be redeemed... forgetting that God loves to restore.

Sometimes it might feel like fear and anxiety are overwhelming, and inescapable. Here's what God says to that:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7)

I drew this image of God meeting someone in the middle of their anxiety. I think it's important we understand that God wants to meet us in our moments of anxiety that take our breath away and make it hard to think, just as much as He wants our healing. God is with us in the healing, and God is with us in the waiting.

Be Honest:

• Have I experienced fear or anxiety lately?
• Do I believe God is interested in being with me in the middle of it?
• Do I turn to God when I am feeling anxious? How long does that usually take me?

Bonus Challenge:

The next time you feel fear or anxiety, imagine Jesus coming and sitting with His arms around you. You're safe with Him. Declare this verse over yourself: "For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim 1:7)