Worry, fear, and anxiety, common words in many conversations
today, can loom like giants bent on destroying our peace and rest. Survival
relies on our natural ability to feel anxious about genuinely dangerous
situations and to be on guard. It is when this life-saving mechanism is
triggered at inappropriate times or gets stuck in the "on" position
that it becomes a problem.
The members of my family aren’t the only ones who struggle
with fear and anxiety. Even in the Bible people expressed anxiety—Sarah, Jacob,
David, Jehoshaphat, Martha—the Bible says each one of them worried and fretted.
And the problem still goes on today. Just glimpse the titles of recent
meditations from popular Christian websites:
Planning Funerals That Won’t Happen Lord, Help My Anxious Heart
The Hollow Frame of Worry Fearless
Parenting
The Bible mentions some form of the words “worry” and
“anxiety” nearly 100 times;” fear” over 200 times! Today, as in Bible times,
even God’s people sometimes allow worry to overcome trust, fear to overcome
love, and anxiety to overcome obedience.
With so many of us admitting to battles with these
challenges, how do we deal with it? Most often the best remedy is faith-filled
prayer—sharing our worries with God and completely putting our trust in Him.
I am not saying it is easy. Even standing right in front of
Jesus, Martha wrung her hands, overwhelmed by her circumstances. But trust
truly can overcome spiraling worry, love can overcome irrational fear, and
obedience can overcome paralyzing anxiety.
Another source of reassurance is snuggling in with God’s
Word. The 32 verses found in the poster compiled by Casey Adams, author of “One
Well Momma”, are excellent places to turn to when we are facing the giants that
want to destroy our peace.
And for me, the third source of sanity in the midst of fear
is talking with my best friend, who just happens to be my husband Dick. He can
bring me down from the heights of anxiety with a listening ear, a quiet word, a
recommendation for a simple, defining action. Your go-to person may be a family
member or friend.
May today be an anxiety-free day for you, a day filled with
peace.
Be encouraged!
Pam
P.S. I am not talking about those suffering with chronic
anxiety (around 40 million adults in the U.S). This very real, very
debilitating disorder often requires medication and counseling.
©2019 Pamela D. Williams
writepam71@gmail.com
