Not too long ago, I was preparing to travel and had been up late into the night taking care of some last-minute details. I went to bed knowing I would only get a few hours of sleep because my flight was scheduled to leave very early the next morning. When I awoke, I had an immediate feeling of panic, as I thought I had overslept. I jumped out of bed and ran to see the time, only to find it significantly earlier than I believed. Still shaken by the thought of oversleeping, my body struggled to go back to sleep because anxiety had stolen my rest.
Many people live their daily lives stressed and worried. Christians all over the world suffer with anxiety. Anxiety is fear or worry that manifests because of a real or imagined outcome.
The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul instructs us in Phil. 4:6 (NKJV), Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. I like the amplified version of this text: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. God doesn’t want us to live with anxiety. He has commanded us not to. When we are anxious, we are apt to move out of fear and emotions instead of faith or the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Trust is a major ally in the fight against anxiety and worry. Trust is total confidence in God and His Word. This is why we are to pray instead of worry. When we choose to pray about our circumstances instead of worrying, we show God that our trust is in Him, and He moves on our behalf. When I choose to pray instead of worrying, I acknowledge His wisdom is greater than my own, and no matter what may be going on in my life, my confidence is in Him. The result is victory. This is walking by faith. When we choose to walk by faith, God replaces worry and anxiety with His peace and joy. When we walk in fear, Satan replaces our joy and peace with worry and anxiety. Fear is faith in reverse. When you are anxious, in a sense you are still walking by faith; it’s just perverted. You have more confidence in what may go wrong than what God can make right.
When images of failure, loneliness, and confusion constantly bombard your mind, the result is anxiety and fear. However, a continual reminder of the abiding Word and presence of God will remove these things from your life. For this reason, we must keep the Word of God before our eyes and in our ears. When we daily spend time meditating on God’s Word, it increases our faith and fortifies our stand, keeping us grounded in His love and fear and worry won’t have place within us.
You don’t have to worry about a thing, because God has promised to be with you and take care of you. He promised He would never leave nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5–6 (Amplified) says:
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in anyway fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?
Reinforce these truths in your mind. Let God’s Word dwell richly in your heart! If worry and anxiety plague you, it can stop today! God’s Word is filled with peace, life, and power! It not only has the ability to change your circumstances, but it will also change you!
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5).
Keeping the Word of God Central
1. Keep your environment filled with songs of praise and worship (Eph. 5:19).
2. Meditate on verses of Scripture that promise God’s protection, love, and support (Jas. 1:8; Ps. 1:2).
3. Speak words of comfort and peace to yourself (Prov. 22:18).
4. Trust God, keep moving forward in spite of the presence of fear (Ps. 125:1).
5. Remind yourself that you are loved by God because His love casts out fear (1 John 4:8).
