Entrusting Anxieties

Day 19 Entrusting Every Anxiety “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) Anxiety is real and God’s antidote for anxiety is real. There is hope for those who deal with anxiety. We can train our thoughts. This might be the most difficult practice, because we are bombarded by thoughts. We think 20,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day! What does it look like to train our brain to continually entrust? It starts by asking yourself, “What am I worried, anxious, or fearful about? Why? Do I want to continue thinking about this or do I want to let this thought go?” Then, take that thought captive and exchange our anxious swirl for God’s peace. This exchange requires trust. It means that we believe God will do what He promises. Ten years ago, this practice became my new habit. At this time, I thought I was much less anxious than my college years, but Dan and my kids confronted me on my lack of peace. Fun, right? I found an antidote: 1. Write a list of all the things I could not control and the things that made me anxious. 2. Give them to God one at a time. Open handed. 3. Thank Him for His love and goodness. 4. Ask Him to give me the gift of peace. This practice became my go to. Some days I did this hundreds of times. It took months for me to retrain my brain. It was entirely worth it. Self Reflection: - What repetitive worries do I have? - Do I want to break this habit of worry and anxiety? - Can I give God my worries every time I think about them? - Do I trust that He will provide peace? Prayer: God, thank You that You are near to me and that You love me. I give You ________ (my worry) and ________ (this repetitive thought) I need Your love, joy, and peace to fill my heart, soul, and mind. In Jesus’ name. Day 37: Embracing the Life He Has Given “Therefore, do not worry and be anxious…But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day of its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31, 33, 34 AMPC) God whispered to me, “Embrace the life I have given you.” Sadly, I realized I was focusing on so many unknowns I could not completely engage with and enjoy the blessings right in front of me. Facing each anxiety one by one and choosing to let go was a conscious decision. Have you ever let go of anxious thoughts and then wondered, what do I think about now? When we stop thinking anxious, we have to replace our thoughts. Thankful thinking is so powerful, so many brain experts offer this as a solution to anxiety. Repeatedly, I had to choose to turn my stubborn mind toward what I’m thankful for. We can list our thankfuls while we are doing daily tasks and this practice is so life-giving. My uncertainty of tomorrow leaves when I look at my blessings. Dwell on things that are uplifting. Dwell on things that are working. Dwell on things that are worthy of praise. When you find yourself emotionally low, you can be pretty sure you’ve been dwelling on what’s not working…It is very important to start noticing your emotions and how you spiral upward or downward. ( Newberry, 2007) Embracing the life God has given us means giving our attention and focus to what is right in front of us. It’s not forgetting to worry, it’s choosing not to. While in the middle of doing something, if we are thinking of three other tasks we need to do, we can’t give the attention needed to the one at hand. If I’m with one of my five children and my mind wanders to the needs of another child, I completely miss the opportunity to engage with the one I’m with. Embracing the life He has given means appreciating every moment and choosing to enjoy it. It means living with an attitude of thankfulness and joy. It means being satisfied with what He has supplied and resting in it. Embracing the life God has given us leads to enjoying our life to the full! Self Reflection: -What are blessings in my life? -Do I embrace each day and each moment as a gift? If so, how? -Can I embrace what God has placed in front of me? Prayer: Jesus, help me to embrace the moments you have given me. Help me to embrace what you have placed before me. Show me Your hand and Your path. Remind me to change any thoughts that trigger unhappiness into a joyful thought and an attitude of thankfulness. ThankYou for embracing me and loving me where I am. In Your name.