Skip to main content

The Ultimate Guide to Overcoming Anxiety - Part 1

Hello World!

This will be the first post in a 3-part series discussing the beast of anxiety. Just today I've been fighting the claws of anxiety that so easily try to latch onto my brain. I have a friend going in for surgery tomorrow, an awkward conversation hanging over my head that has left me replaying it over and over in my mind, plus another meeting coming up with someone that has me all jittery, and I don't even know why.

I just finished writing a card to a friend where I shared Psalm 46:10-11 (TPT) "Surrender (relax) your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth...the Mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!"

With Truth like that all over the Bible, how can any of us struggle with being anxious so much? I've been in this battle for a very long time- probably close to 30 years- and I know we all struggle for various reasons. For some, anxiety is a real medical condition needing a proper medical doctor and good medication. For others, seeing a counselor and getting help for their brain, like I have done, is necessary. Sometimes a combination of a doctor and a counselor is needed. There is also the category for those out there who walk around day after day with no way to cope with this Beast.

There is one main attacker who gets to us all, a real-live enemy. We know "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5). Often he can be spotted going after our minds. He whispers illogical secrets in our ears, and we are afraid to admit out loud we are believing him. Secrets like, "So-and-so is angry with you." "You hurt so-and-so by your comment the other day and she is questioning your friendship." "Things are never going to change, your life will always look like this." "You don't really belong here." "That text you sent? Just wait until you get a reply. You created a mess." "And by the way, your hair is really looking mousy-brown these days. Disgusting."

What I desire for you to know today is that we have a choice. We do not have to allow the claws of this beast to latch on to our brains. Peter tells us straight up to "TAKE A DECISIVE STAND against (the enemy) and resist his every attack with STRONG, VIGOROUS faith." Along with reading the Scriptures and claiming Truth, another way to build a strong and vigorous faith is to listen to worship music and engage. I fight against the enemy so hard during worship times.

Even when we don't feel like the lyrics are true, we sing them anyway. We put ourselves in a physical posture of worshipping the Father- whether on our knees, or hands raised high, or punching the air emphatically (one of my personal favs) until our hearts align with the Truth we are singing. We fight the enemy when we worship. We take a decisive stand against his attacks when we belt out songs to God Almighty at the top of our lungs. We build a strong and vigorous faith when we sing something as Truth before we even believe it.

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing my personal journey of what it has been like to live in the frigid, damp, and dreadful prison of my own brain. Though the enemy still likes to use days like today to try to creep in and get me down, I am excited to share with you how the Lord God Almighty released me from the shackles of anxiety. He "personally and powerfully restored me and made me stronger than ever." (vs. 10) This rescuing isn't just for me,

"Yes, He will set YOU firmly in place...and He has the power needed to do this- forever!"
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SOLD

It seems as if the unexpected, most shocking events that happen in life come during the mundane moments. 6 weeks ago our little family was sitting around the dinner table. It was no different than any other typical dinner with 2 preschoolers. Chips, salsa, taco sauce, and beef were flying around the table, drinks were spilling, and siblings were screaming at each other. Nothing unusual. Chuck and I began catching up on our days. He’s usually very easy to read, but this particular night, I had not sensed anything out of the ordinary. Halfway through dinner, he looked me straight in the face and said, “I lost my job.” The chaos around me faded into the background, a buzz began sounding in my ears, and my body began tingling from head to toe. I stared into Chuck’s face as the room around him became blurry. At first the shock was my comfort. Numbness took over my ability to feel. The shock wore off at 2:37 that morning. I was jolted out of a sound sleep, the pain so immens...
8 comments
Read more

One Name

Jase was seven months old. The number was so high on the thermometer the nurse advised me to swiftly get him out of his car seat and strip his clothes off. We then moved to a back room where I waited for the doctor. The room was warm. Stuffy. The air felt thick with heat. I wished there was a window to be opened. The stale room needed fresh air. Pricks of sweat started to itch my back. (Minutes before his first seizure.) When the doctor finally appeared, I gave the rundown of Jase’s symptoms. She carefully examined him as he laid atop the white, crackly paper on the table. Everything seemed to check out. As she walked back to her desk, something frightened me about the way Jase looked. He was still lying on his back. His eyes were open, but the life inside him seemed gone . His eyes didn’t move, they just stared off into the distance. His chest moved up and down with short breaths. His arms and legs were limp.   Everything seemed to slow down to an other worldly pac...
6 comments
Read more

My Baby Girl

A couple weeks ago my Aunt Keren and Grandma came out East, stayed with us, and then we met up with my Mom's side of the family for my cousin's wedding in NJ.  After the fun wedding festivities and a few days at the beach, they came back to my parent's.  One of the nights we had a fire bowl, and sat outside talking for awhile.  Grandma was really missing her pup, so she scooped Jovie up.  That night she wanted nothing to do with sitting on my lap, but she cozied right up with Gram.  It was super precious.  I love this picture of the two of them together. Right now Jovie is actually sick and it breaks my heart.  I get so worried about her, which I know seems goofy because "she's just a dog".  But she's my baby girl and I hate seeing her lethargic, and puking.  The other bummer is that the vet is expensive, so we're trying to take the cheapest route, and are praying she gets better within the next 48 hours.  Poor little thing.  Th...
1 comment
Read more