What the post is about
- God is there in our anxiety
- Wrong thinking
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder is different
- God always provides a way through anxiety
God is there in our anxiety
Anxiety doesn’t mean God has abandoned us. On the contrary, he’s closer than ever.
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In Romans 8:28, we are reminded that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. This verse reminds us that God is actively working for our good no matter what happens in our lives.
It likes a weaver weaving pieces of yarn together to create the beautiful tapestry that is our life. But the verse also says that God does this for those who love him. He isn’t doing it for those that don’t.
But it’s hard
But it’s hard when we’re anxious to see how God could use our anxiety for our good. Believe me, when I’m anxious, it’s hard for me to understand how God can use it for my good. But he did, and he does.
Because of the anxiety I have experienced in the past, and still do at times, I can empathize. Because of my history, I learned to scour the Bible for help. I researched the subject, and the more I learned, the more I understood the condition. The more I understood it, the less scary it was.
And don’t beat yourself up for it, either. You are not less a believer than that person who says they could never be anxious. Trust me; they have other issues. How do I know that? Because the Bible states, none of us are perfect, not even those who think they are.
We learn to trust even when anxious.
When we focus on God instead of our anxiety, we find strength. We can overcome knowing God is in control and walking beside us. We don’t have to walk alone.
Don’t try to figure out the cause right away. You can do that later. For right now, just hold on and put one anxious foot in front of the other. Later, look back over your thoughts prior to your attack. You will find some wrong thinking. What is wrong thinking?
Wrong thinking
We don’t get anxious because we’ve been thinking good thoughts, as we are encouraged to do in Philippians 4:8. We get anxious because we have been thinking destructive thoughts. A word that is an obvious sign you are thinking destructively is “should.” That doesn’t mean there aren’t things you should or should not be doing, but if it peppers your thoughts, you are living under too high expectations.
Another word is ‘can’t.’ When we constantly tell ourselves we can’t do something, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Again, can’t is not a bad word, but if you are using it all the time, it indicates stress.
When I hear someone using the same word a lot, I feel it reveals a lot about a person. As Christians, God does not expect us to be our own judge and jury. He reserves that right. So unless he tells you you should do something or you can’t do something, you’ve no business taking on his role. Talk kinder to yourself.
Anxiety begins with thoughts.
You can’t experience anxiety without thinking anxious thoughts. Anxiety, although it can affect our physical bodies, like rapid heart rate, sweating, etc., it’s primarily a mind/thought thing.
It can be one of the causes of migraines, gut issues, arthritis, and just about every physical ailment you can think of.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is different
GAD is different. GAD means we feel anxious most of the time. Generally, this begins in childhood. Mine certainly did. Any childhood history of trauma hardwires our brains to feel in danger even when we’re not. While these fears may be irrational, they are based on very real experiences.
GAD is harder to treat, but it is treatable. Anti-depressants are often used to treat GAD, deep breathing, and physical exercise. Brain rest is really important as well. If you don’t know what brain rest means, you probably don’t suffer from GAD because anyone who does knows exactly what I mean. But we shouldn’t rely on them alone. We might need professional help with medication for a time.
Remember, God is not only the LORD of our present, he’s also the LORD of our past. While he doesn’t change our history, just like Romans, 8:28 states about our present, he can work out our past for our good as well.
God always provides a way through anxiety
So no matter where you are on the anxiety scale, God provides a way out. (I Corinthian 10:13, Romans 8:28.) We might not like how long it takes, and we may not like what it requires of us.
Watch
Watch for the ways God is trying to lead you to peace. Sometimes we overlook it because we think it has to be something super-spiritual. But it could be just a cup of tea.
God bless, and have an anxiety-free day.
