Battling Anxiety

| Jul 23, 2021 11:05 AM

Today more and more people are struggling with anxiety and feeling anxious. Some people have medical anxiety, but some are just dwelling on things that maybe we have no control of, raising the anxiety levels so much. For example, things we need to accomplish for the day, something that didn’t get done the night before, worrying about, and it’s ok to plan ahead; however, some things are just beyond our control, and we need to learn how to let go of that worry.

God is our strength, so we need to trust that God will take care of us. He never gives us anything we cannot handle. While we thrive on being better at providing for our families and being responsible, being a good friend, often we find ourselves circling back over and over about the things we had to do and didn’t get done. Worrying about the things we forgot to do or things we have no control over does not help us any. When we do this, the anxiety levels go through the roof. This can often affect the way we feel about ourselves, leading to severe depression and other types of illnesses.

But what do we do to prevent these feelings? Or what do we do when we’re feeling anxious or worried, or when we feel like we’ve failed? When we’re feeling down, sad, or feel nervous or scared, we have to remember what Peter said, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” This Bible verse is compelling; God knows that it is inevitable for us to feel scared and anxious. Our brains are wired that way; feeling afraid is a survival mechanism; there’s no escaping that. Yet, God is compassionate, and he won’t condemn us for it.

There are many verses in the Scripture that tells us not to fear. God is telling us not to fear and not to worry; he is there for us. He is waiting for us to recognize that we need Him, and He wants us to let go of everything that is troubling our minds and our spirit and body and let Him help us.

Overcoming anxiety is something that we all need to work on. We must practice focusing on the present rather than worrying about the future, especially if we have no control. We can plan for the future and take actions today that can impact the future, but worrying about the future does nothing to help us be prepared. Please know that God is there for you, and he cares for you, and no matter what the circumstances are, it doesn’t matter if you feel like things are spiraling out of control. He is absolutely in control, do not be afraid.