In the last post we identified anxiety and took a look at some Bible verses about fear and anxiety. This post is going to focus on what the Bible tells us about fear and anxiety and some practical ways we can conquer this stronghold in our lives.
I'm going to start this post with the same disclaimer: I am not a Bible scholar. I also want to point out I am not a mental health professional. While I am a Registered Nurse and have some mental health training, I am in no way an expert. The following are strategies I have learned to be effective; however, these aren't a miracle cure or everything you need to know. If you find your mental health issues are disrupting your everyday life, you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, you should seek treatment from a medical provider. Feel free to message me, I would love to chat with you and give some recommendations for treatment.
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that fear is not from God. All good and perfect things come from the Lord. Fear & anxiety are not those things. If it does not come from God, where does it come from? Satan very effectively uses this spirit of fear to bind us where we are and prevent us from growing.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Go to God with your fear. If we are anxious, we should be praying about it. So many times when I am fearful or anxious, I will go to many people before I go to God. My wise Pastor's wife says, "Have you prayed about it as much as you've talked about it?"
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:3
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
When you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you have no reason to fear. This is hard to wrap our heads around because we all feel fear at some point. I fully believe that we will all feel fear and anxiety while we are here on this Earth, because we are human and faulty. It is when that fear and anxiety becomes a stronghold on your life, when it becomes an idol, changing our way of thinking, and taking our focus off of God, this is when it is a problem.
However, when we are made perfect in HIS love, we can learn to turn that fear over to the Lord. And this will glorify Him.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Mental health issues are becoming more recognized and less of a stigma. This is great! I in no way want to minimize what people struggle with. Beloved, I want to encourage you to not let your fear/anxiety/depression/triggers define you. We don't have to claim this, we don't have to let it be our identity. As something that controls us. I see a lot of (and have even made them!) statements along the lines of "my anxiety made me do this, my depression won't let me". Words and thoughts are powerful. When we begin to speak about these things as if they are our own, they have more power. Instead, lets declare God's truth over ourselves. Proclaim the Lord's Word!
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
This does not define you. This is not who God made you to be. Don't welcome this spirit of fear into God's holy vessel.
So, without further ado, the following are some everyday activities we should be doing to defy fear and anxiety.
Spend time in God's Word every day. The Bible is literally God's love letter to us. There is no other way to learn about God's truth than to read it for yourself. Pour yourself some coffee, find a quiet space, and read the Bible. It doesn't have to be a drawn out thing, but make sure you are giving God the time and attention He deserves. I know sometimes we don't feel like it, but we need to be disciplined in this. Submerge yourself in God's truth! Take it a step further and post bible verses throughout your house/workplace/care to remind yourself of God's truth.
Be honest with God. I promise, He can take it. He doesn't want these pretty prayers, he wants us to bare our souls to Him. He already knows it anyway! Get down into the nitty gritty ugliness of your heart. Allow God to place healing balm on your wounds. Ask Him to show you areas and triggers that you are vulnerable to be fearful and anxious about.
Begin activities that break habits and change your way of thinking. There are tons of strategies. This is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I will expand on a few, but feel free to do some research on this!
If you struggle with catastrophizing (blowing things out of proportion, dreaming up nightmare scenarios), you can put your thoughts into perspective. Challenge what you are thinking. For example, if you are obsessing over the irrational thought of your loved one dying in a car crash, you can ask yourself some questions like this: What are the facts, what do I definitively know? I know that my loved one is travelling on this road. That's it. How often do they travel that road? Do a lot of people travel that road often without incident? How many crashes happen there? Well, some crashes do happen - okay. But how many of those crashes result in a fatality? There have been a few. But usually the crashes only cause minor injuries, like a broken bone or some bruises. This is a very vague example. But you can apply this strategy to any scenario.
If you experience extreme anxiety and panic attacks, there are ways to stop those physical symptoms. One way is proper deep breathing. It's much easier to see this demonstrated. This is a good description and practice. The point of deep breathing is to calm you down in the moment. You can do it anywhere. Another way to calm your physical symptoms is progressive muscle relaxation. This involves tightening and relaxing every muscle in your body. This is a good description and walks you through it.
There are so many more strategies and resourcing out there for you, but I think this is a good start. I also have a FREE PRINTABLE journal to help you identify and work through your fear and anxiety.
Please feel free to share, comment, and subscribe so you are the first to get this content!
Commentaires