Worry and anxiety are two things that can drain your life of joy and can cause damage and pain, which is sometimes severe and often unrecognized and misunderstood by others. I know this, as I have witnessed it in the lives of some of my dearest friends as well as in my own life.
While I was struggling with complicated health issues a few years ago, anxiety became all consuming. Whether it was rational and linked to an obvious cause such as my illness, or the sudden onset of a panic attack of unidentified origin, anxiety was real, scary, and damaging.
Through a multitude of dietary and lifestyle changes, and with the help of an amazing functional medicine doctor, my health condition has significantly improved. With those improvements, my anxiety has almost disappeared. To be clear, if you are someone who is struggling with anxiety that is affecting your relationships and ability to function in life, I strongly encourage you to be seen by your doctor. That being said, what I want to share with you today is scripture that I cling to when I am faced with anxiety and how it has blessed by life.
Read the following scripture slowly and let it really sink into your heart…
Philippians 4:6-8 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise worthy – think about such things.”
If you are anything like me, when you are experiencing anxiety, your mind does not stop. I think about every possible bad outcome a situation could have and rehearse these imaginary outcomes over and over again in my mind. But this is not what Paul is telling us to do, is it? First, he tells us to NOT be anxious, but to praise God and petition him in prayer for help. As a result, his peace with be will us.
I’m embarrassed to admit, but at the time, I didn’t think this worked for me. I prayed and asked God for His help and it would bring me more peace, but not in the immediate deliverance from anxiety that I was expecting and hoping I would receive. God is SO much bigger than us and I am often in awe of His ways. As I look back now, I see that I have been delivered from anxiety, but it was not in the easy, straightforward manner that I would have preferred.
So, what did help me in the moment? In one word, mindset. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise worthy – think about such things.”
Whenever those “bad” thoughts would come into my head, God would lay this verse on my heart. I would find something that was true or lovely, or excellent or praise worthy in the situation giving me anxiety and I would focus on THIS thing. In the mist of pain and illness, when anxiety would hit, I would say to myself, “God has lead you to an amazing doctor who is helping you. God is healing me THROUGH this.” I would find truths in the bible and continually repeat them in my mind, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I would wake up in the morning, and regardless of how I actually felt, I would repeat to myself, “I feel good. I feel healthy today.” I would focus on those things that Paul tells us to think about.
Find the lovely in your life. Stand on the truths of God. Think of things that are excellent and praise worthy. Fill your mind with the goodness and grace of God so much that it cannot roam to those destructive thoughts. It is not always easy, and you will not be perfect, but I guarantee you that it is worthwhile.
If you have a bible, I encourage you to get it out. Turn to the book of Philippians, highlight, underline, and read these words for yourself over and over again. Commit them to memory, so that when you begin to experience anxiety, the Lord can lay them on your heart and minister to you using them. Trust me, He will. Only He knows how many times He has laid them on my heart, I’ve lost count.
Today I am praying for you. If you are experiencing anxiety in life, may God fill your hearts and minds with those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, and guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.