When I'm Feeling Anxious...
Anxiety can creep up on us even when we don’t notice it at all. It happens to me quite often. I’ll be emotionally doing well, I’ll be feeling calm, happy, and then suddenly, anxious thoughts can come into my mind – thinking about things I have to do, decisions for the future, worrying about my parents, worrying about finances, feeling like I’m not “doing enough”, and many fears that I have. How do I fight these battles in my thought life?
Reminding myself to be JOYFUL in the Lord!
"When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." Psalm 94:19
"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
"So that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed." Romans 15:32
"For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory." Psalm 149:4
"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4
Even though I don’t need to have it all together, God is the one I can fully trust with my whole life.
I know that anxious thoughts will come again, they creep back in, but I know how to fight back – fighting with the Word of life and truth. Another way to fight back is to expose these thoughts, put them to light by sharing them with close friends to pray and stand together.
