My chest is tight. My mind is racing. My thoughts are many, and my heart beating faster than I even communicate. My eyes are full of tears, and my voice unable to dictate and produce words. I am panicked. I'm stuck. I'm paralyzed. I'm scared.

...This is the how my companion, Anxiety, treats me and what she brings out through me.

Anxiety. A feeling I know far too well, as many of us do. Whether it has only been once or twice, or if it is an almost daily feeling, we have all been visited by this not so friendly friend.

Although anxiety is a leading issue in today's mental health world, it seems as though no one can quite educate us on how to fully overcome this problem. There are plenty of self-help books along with behavior mod practices or even plenty of well intended Christians reminding of Jesus's words through simple reminders and counsel of "do not be anxious" or various other scriptures and quick 'encouraging' responses to just "have more faith" or "don't worry about it; it'll all be okay".

The reality is, anxiety itself is not the enemy. It is a feeling. All feelings give us the opportunity to learn how to depend on Christ and to overcome whatever the emotion is. The feeling, however, can lead us to a response of sin, which brings about more struggle and hardship, rather than a response of obedience, bringing about hope and peace. The goal is not to rid ourselves of the emotion/feeling because that is utterly impossible; the goal is to learn how to take the feeling and bring it fully into surrender unto to One who can help us through it. When we can learn how to worship God in the midst of our uncomfortable feeling, we are able to experience the beauty of the our Savior's presence, gaining the real treasure and freedom our heart and mind seeks.

Anxiety robs our lives of gratitude and peace. It places dependence and hope upon ourselves and our abilities. It distracts us from the here and now. It prevents us from fully enjoying the blessings around us. It makes us try harder and harder to obtain control, leading us to a greater loss of control. Anxiety is a way of life for many people and is a barrier to relationships: our relationship with Christ, first and foremost, along with our relationships with those around us.

Although the relief of anxiety and the struggle against it will never be fully gone/cured this side of Heaven, we do have the hope of God's Word and the opportunity to run to Him in our moments of anxiety, providing us a peace that comes not from this world, but trusting God's provision, character, and promises alone.

With that being said, let's take a look at what Scripture says. I do not know what circumstances you may find yourself in today or what the extent of your struggle with anxiety is, but I do pray that you would let God's Word bring you hope, comfort, and peace today.

Be still. Read His Words. Remember who He is. Let Him bring peace to your heart and mind. Let your guard down and let Him be God; He will show up and help you if you will let Him. He cares for you, He loves you, and He is present there with you. *Anytime you feel anxious, and especially when you have physical symptoms of it, it is important to focus on regulating your breathing and getting your mind in the present. A helpful tool is to physically hold and describe an object around you. List everything you can to fully describe it, and even describe what you see in the peripheral of it. Once we regulate our bodies and minds, we can fully begin to meditate on Truth.

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:25-34

6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:6-11

Reflection

Write out every concern that comes to mind in this very moment. Do you feel like God cares about these things? Be honest with yourself. Do you have them ranked as "this one is a concern He would care about, but not this one"?

Why is it hard to release your concerns and anxieties to the Lord?

What does Scripture say about being anxious about things? Is it beneficial or is it unproductive? Why or why not?

Why are we called to not be anxious? Think about / reference back the examples given.

Do you believe that you are more valuable than the birds of the sky? Does this reality give you hope and peace?

Do you find yourself regularly relying on your own strength and ability to figure things out, fix things, and/or overcome anxiety? If so, why - what are you seeking or hoping to gain in the midst of feeling anxious?

What are some practical things you can / will do differently this coming week to give your concerns and anxieties to the Lord in order to learn how to worship and depend on Him in the moment and experiencing the peace that comes with knowing He is with you and cares for you? (Be specific! Example, I will write down my concerns and set aside 10 minutes a day to pray through them and ask God to help me trust His provision).

Worship

Take some time to listen to the song below. Afterward, take some time to write a prayer and response to the Lord based on what the Holy Spirit has illuminated to you in Scripture today.

https://youtu.be/SDi-4Gp7By0