There are some positive aspects of anxiety and that’s what I’m going to write about today. Anxiety appears when your mind, body and soul are out of balance; it’s your spirit’s way of speaking to you and helping you to sort out what’s going on. If you’re anxious today, chill out, and allow God to apply His soothing balm of peace as you read today’s post.
Motivation. When my dog was young, he needed things to keep him occupied so I got him one of those toys that holds treats. It was too easy for him and he had it emptied in no time and then ignored the empty toy. ☹ I need motivation, too, sometimes to get me moving. Rewarding myself with a piece of candy, a good book, or something tangible can motivate me to go take that walk, get exercise in, or whatever it is that I really don’t feel like doing. Motivation can also work to help reduce anxiety. You may be facing a problem that has you anxious and on edge, but it may also be the very reason to motivate you to look for a solution. Don’t let anxiety weigh you down and keep you from moving forward. Let it be a motivator to look for answers.
“Whom have I in Heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:25-26, NIV
Where does your motivation come from? It usually comes from within yourself but can come from external sources as well such as a friend or something you read or heard. This Psalm portion says the reason or motivation for life—whether it’s anxiety, failure, loss, or something else—comes from God. No matter what happens to us or around us, our anchor, our hope, our desire, our strength needs to be in Jesus.
Cautiousness. When people get anxious about something, they usually do one of two things. Either they throw caution to the wind and act out carelessly OR they are extra cautious to protect themselves. Being careless is not helpful in any situation, but being cautious and protecting yourself is a good thing, especially when experiencing anxiety.
“The wise are cautious and avoid danger;
fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”
Proverbs 14:16, NLT
In Daniel 1:8-17, we learn that Daniel did not make any decisions immediately. He may have been anxious and certainly cautious, not knowing what would happen to him and his friends if they chose to not eat the king’s food. But he prayed and reasoned with his attendants, and God gave favor with the attendants and the king. I think what we can learn from Daniel is to not make any snap decisions, especially in the midst of anxiety, and think things through cautiously.
State of mind. In the midst of anxiety, the state of mind can play tricks on you. When the Disciples were out on the sea and the storm came up, Jesus came to them on the water but they thought He was a ghost. They were anxious about the storm and didn’t think about the fact that Jesus could walk on water. Perhaps they didn’t realize that before that time or in their anxiety they momentarily forgot. That was something they learned through this time of anxiety.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:30-31, NIV
Doubt plays a big part in our anxiety because of our state of mind. Even though we know the truth of a situation, fear and anxiety distort it and play on our minds. Peter is a perfect example. He was walking along on the water to Jesus just fine until he looked down and saw the waves. I imagine his thoughts went something like this: Oh my, what am I doing? I can’t walk on water. I’ll drown. What was I thinking asking Jesus to bid me come?! He was second guessing himself and doubting that Jesus would see him safely back to the boat. But no matter the doubts, he learned a lesson that day.
I can’t remember if read this quote a long time ago that has stuck with me or if it was my own thoughts, but I’ve written it inside the front cover of my Bible. “Jesus has power over my restless thoughts. He can rebuke the storm in my soul and still its raging waters.” There’s no time when restless thoughts are more prevalent than in the midst of anxiety. Look for the good things that can come out of the situation causing the anxiety, and allow Jesus to calm the storm.
For the next two days this week we’ll talk about faith and trust.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You for being right here with me, calming me, and showing me the path to take when my vision dims and I’m tired and ready to give up. You alone have the power and strength that I need in the midst of my anxiety.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
- Easter – resurrection and salvation