When The Door Slams
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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 4:4-7 NIV.
Who wouldn't want help with anxiety? Few of us want the sweating palms, the gnawing in the pit of the stomach (sanguinely called "butterflies" by some), the weak knees, the dry mouth, and the pounding heart that often accompany worry and anxiety. And none desire the dark hours of nocturnal tossing and turning until your pillow is folded into a lump.
But no drug will rid our lives of anxiety, no psychotherapy can take it all away, and no religion will cause it to vanish like the morning dew. Anxiety remain part of your life.
The good news about anxiety is that there is a way to deal with it in faith, so as to make the most of it, diminish its power, and find your way through it. If you are willing to stop adding to the problem by seeking every which way to escape and avoid anxiety, if you are willing to let your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ become activated and to follow it straight ahead into your fear, you can discover how to ease and reduce anxiety, and even use it to become the person God wants you to be.
Think about this: Instead of running away from anxiety, step firmly into it. Although this notion may sound unique, it's very, very old. And it works. It works to give us courage, it works to exercise our faith, and it works to reduce (not eliminate) anxiety and worry from our lives.
Renewal: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV).
Related Bible Texts: Matthew 6:26; Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Peter 5:7; John 4:14
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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