What Anxiety Taints
Have you noticed how anxiety affects you whether a good or bad thing happens? When a good thing happens, you may think of what could go wrong, whereas when a bad thing occurs, you think of what else could make it worse. What you look at, or focus on, is what you see the most. However, God is always doing something good.
So, what are you willing to give up in order to make room to focus on God?
There may be things in life that trigger your anxiety or that bring up things from your past. Therefore, you have to beware of what you allow yourself to think about. In addition, it is good to be aware of the content you allow before your eyes, which then goes into your brain (input). For example, if you are feeling anxious, maybe avoid watching a movie or tv show with suspense or crime, which may bring up fears. Another thing to avoid when feeling off, or anxious, is the intake of caffeine, which tends to magnify your emotions. It really comes down to redirecting your thought process and the way you react to things. 1 Peter 5:7 states, “cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” In order to cast your anxiety on God, you need to focus on surrendering it to Him. That means every time that anxiety, worry, or fearful thoughts come into your mind, you go to God, knowing that He cares about you and is always there to take it from you. One thing to remember is the fact that, for there to be an exchange, you have to give something up. Let’s look at some verses that imply this happening. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In both of these verses we see how we are encouraged to go to God with our requests, anxieties, and heaviness to be able to receive rest and peace. Our brains and feelings may lead us to believe that there is always something going wrong in our lives and that the way we feel will last for a long time. But that is one big fat lie from the enemy, that is what he wants you to believe!
There may be bad things that happen, which have negative feelings that come along with it, but the only way they last is if you keep focusing on all that goes wrong.
God always gives a way out for people that look to Him for help!
Anxiety taints what the Lord wants us to get out of this life as we try to go through it with Him. So, let’s look at the picture God has for us that this sinful world taints. Psalm 23 is a well-known chapter in the Christian community, which paints a picture for anyone and everyone to cling to. Psalm 23 begins by stating, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” Notice how all those benefits come from having the Lord as your shepherd or as the leader of your life. It is necessary to follow Him in order to understand that in Him you have everything you need. In addition, God will lead you to where you need to be. The verse even says He will make you lie down where you need to be as He knows what is best. This could be for many reasons, one being, He knows that you may be stubborn and think you know what’s best. Another reason could be He knows you have anxious energy and just want to keep going in any direction at the moment (as sheep do). However, once you surrender to God’s way, the verse illustrates how you will be taken care of and restored. Who doesn’t want that in their own lives? Therefore, when anxiety begins to taint the picture and plan God says He has for your life, shift your focus back to Him. When you redirect your thoughts and feelings to God, He will exchange your anxious thoughts for His peace, which guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. So, surrender to the Shepherd, knowing He will give you rest and provide all that you need to get you to where you need to be!
