3. Take Care of Yourself Physically
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is so overwhelmed he wants to end his life.
God doesn’t give him a pep talk or shame him for lacking faith. Instead, He gives him a meal and lets him sleep. Twice.
Learning to rest is an important part of stewarding the body God gave you. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.
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4. Be Intentional About What You’re Filling Your Mind With
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
What you fill your mind with profoundly affects you.
Eastern meditation focuses on emptying your mind. Hebrew meditation is different—it’s about filling your mind with the right things.
For me, this meant changing:
- The music I listened to
- The books I read
- The shows I watched
- Even the people I spent time with
A year later, I can handle more variety. But during that season, I had to be diligent about guarding what entered my mind.
5. Don’t Neglect the Spiritual
You are a spiritual being. There’s always more going on than meets the eye.
If you address the physical but ignore the spiritual, you’ll miss a big part of what’s really happening.
We live in a world at war. There’s a battle raging around us at all times. God desires for you to flourish, but there’s an enemy who wants nothing more than to see you suffer.
The Bible calls him “the father of lies.” And he knows his words are most likely to get through when you’re most vulnerable.
When you’re overwhelmed with anxiety, he whispers lies about:
- Your identity
- Your self-worth
- Your status before God
- Your past, your future, your hope
You must recognize these lies for what they are.
Make a habit of:
- Praying regularly
- Reading Scripture
- Engaging with Christian community who can help you discern lies and remind you who you truly are in Christ
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