If God truly is good, powerful, alive, and in us, and if He created us and knows how He designed us to live, and if Jesus “came that we might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10), then following His lead will give us the peace we so desperately long for and that our idols cannot provide. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22, NIV).
Find a New Focus
Max Lucado writes, “Think about what you think about.” And 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us, “Take every thought captive.” Psalm 131 says, “I have calmed and quieted my soul.” And Psalm 46:10 commands us to “Be still” or “Cease striving.” While seeking professional help for anxiety and depression is sometimes necessary, there’s much we can do on behalf of our own sanity. If God considers us capable of settling ourselves by remembering truth and trusting His Spirit, shouldn’t we at least try?
But how do we “still” ourselves? How do we “cease striving” and get off that debilitating hamster wheel that spins inside our brains? We will never have God’s perfect sovereign perspective, but we can stop and refocus our attention on the bigger picture when we begin to feel anxious:
- Where is God at work in this situation?
- If Romans 8:28 is true (and it is) how might the things you are most anxious about be “working together for the good of those who love God”?
Hint: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (Romans 5:3-4, NLT).
Once I caught myself “what-if-ing” about the next possible catastrophe. I decided to turn the tables by asking, “What if God has suddenly fallen off His throne and no longer runs the universe?” That thought was so laughable I stopped worrying!
Stop, Drop, and Breathe
When you find yourself spinning in the anxiety cycle and can’t seem to find the exit, stop whatever you’re doing. Breathe…deeply…slowly…in…out…several times. And when your brain begins to quiet enough that you can slip in an idea edgewise, name—out loud if possible—what you’re anxious about. Keep breathing. As you relax, get curious. Ask questions about your anxiety without any judgment. Is it about sin? Is it about fear? Is it about an injustice? Is it about loss (of a relationship or of control)?
Again, without judgment, put each of your reasons into its own separate mental drawer. As soon as you are able, open those drawers one at a time and look hard at the contents. Are they worth keeping? Do you need help (from a professional or a wise friend) sorting out what to keep and what to toss? Do you need to forgive or ask for forgiveness?
Often, simply bringing these anxious thoughts out into the daylight shrinks them to their proper size and sometimes they disappear entirely! Like a troll in daylight an anxious thought becomes impotent.
Fight Like Jesus
Proactively allow the following scriptures to percolate deep into your soul. Pick one or two that resonate and post them in prominent places or schedule a phone reminder to pop up several times a day, putting these words of life in front of you. Better yet, memorize them (no, you’re not really too old or too busy) so the Holy Spirit can bring them to mind when you need them most.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself…Refrain from anger and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalm 37:7-9, ESV)
Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give to you….Let not your hearts be troubled. (John 14:27, ESV)
