Do you struggle with anxiety? Do you feel like you’re the only one who gets so anxious? Are you like a duck calmly floating on top of the water while your feet are paddling away below like crazy just to stay afloat? Welcome to the club, you’re one of us!
Last week in our Live Webinar we talked about a great book called ‘Rewire Your Anxious Brain’ and shared some of our personal examples of how we manage our anxiety, sometimes successfully, sometimes not!
Over 40 million people experience anxiety so you are not alone! If you enjoy learning about the brain science and how you can actually rewire your brain to a calmer state, you will be on your way to rewiring some neural pathways and a more relaxed you. There are some incredible suggestions you can practice once you understand how the brain works!
Click on the book to take you to Amazon.
One of the insights I had this week as I poured over Philippians 4:6 to see what the Bible had to say about anxiety:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
I don’t know about you but when I read, “Don’t be anxious…” I started to question my walk with God. Am I an unacceptable Christian because I get anxious? Then I was reminded by a friend about other people in the Bible who have struggled emotionally. This conversation then brought me to the thought of Jesus struggling in the Garden of Gethsemane sweating drops of blood knowing his horrific future.
What did He do when he was sorrowful and troubled? (side note: Thanks to my friend, Sarah Deyton, for teaching in a way that peels the amazing truth back when you look for the lessons within the scriptures.)
- He invited a smaller group of men to join Him. He needed community and asked for it.
- He shared His emotions…”His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow…”
- He created some space away from this intimate community and prayed.
- How then should we pray?
- Face to the ground, pleading for God’s will, not our own.
- Can we petition more than once? Is it a sign of disbelief if we keep asking?
- Not at all, Jesus pleaded for a second and a third time “…for this cup to be taken away…”
- Once faced with the situation, what was Jesus’ attitude?
- “Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” He faced it head on. He didn’t run. He didn’t hide. He calmly replied to his traitor, “Do what you came for, friend.”
So powerful, right?! Instead of beating ourselves up for being anxious go to Him in EVERY situation with prayer and petition, present your requests to God. My takeaway is that God wants us to share our anxiety with him just like Jesus did. And it doesn’t mean our own cup will pass but God promises to make all things good. (Romans 8:28)
Anxiety is draining but you don’t have to suffer alone. It will take some vulnerability to invite others in. I think you might be surprised once you share with someone how much friends and family really want to be there for you! Do you have some coping skills for your anxiety? Share with us so we can all learn from each other.
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Are you interested in additional resources? Check out our Book Recommendations List.
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