Anxiety. It’s been the biggest struggle for me over the last year. Somewhere, somehow I let the enemy in and he wrapped anxiety around my heart like a venomous snake. The feeling was strange to me at first. I had never had much experience with it but had heard so many people talk about feeling anxious. I related it to worrying because that is the level of anxiety I understood but now I know it’s much more than worry. It’s paralyzing and it can cause a serious panic to the one that is wanting to resist it.
It is a common and growing struggle that so many of us are dealing with...brought on to us from the unmet needs of security and support. I see it in the kids I work with everyday and my heart breaks for them knowing how trapped they feel by this attack.
In March of this year I wrote this in my journal….
“I feel myself getting anxious and out of control. It’s like my insides get hyper and I look for things to do that don't need to be done.
Unnecessary busyness….
I NEED TO BREATHE AND FOCUS!”
I love my description when I said my insides get hyper. Do you ever feel like this? Catching yourself in a whirlwind of unnecessary busyness brought on by anxiety and the inability to simply rest. I’ve learned over time that these actions are us trying to numb this feeling of anxiety. Instead of looking it straight in the face and forcing it to change we allow it to drive us. I have received so much deliverance since I wrote these words that I can now feel compassion on the “me” who was writing this months ago. And that same compassion goes out to any of you who find yourself in emotional states of no self control and panic. When you feel your heart beating out of your chest and your breath is shortened and the reason why is so hard to even fathom because you are so paralyzed. You become desperate for peace but at the same time you are hopeless for it and it’s absolutely terrifying.
So what do we do with an anxious mind and heart? I’ve lost many battles against it but I have had my victories as well and I now have some tools to beat my anxiety.
First - STOP.
Stop what you’re doing. Put down the dishes. Put down the food. Pull over the car. There is a battle in your mind and no “weapon of this world”, no task, duty, piece of cake, workout, etc. is a comparable weapon for what you are dealing with. You think you're fighting your anxiety with your busyness but you're only letting it spin you faster. So STOP.
Second - BREATHE.
Calm your heart and search your mind. As you breathe you are allowing your body to relax and you will be able to clearly see what’s going on in your mind and redirect it and renew it.
Third - Build your confidence in WHO is taking care of you.
Like I said before, being anxious can be brought on because we do not feel confident that we are secure or supported, but where people and life have let us down in these areas, God will not. Know that you are in His hands. He can fulfill your every need.
Fourth - Build your confidence in WHAT God’s presence can bring you.
He is the Prince of Peace. He is your Rock. You can not hide from His Presence and He will not move. He is with you always and His peace is available to you always.
Fifth - Build your confidence in the IDENTITY God has given you.
You matter! You are a masterpiece! You’re okay. You are a daughter or son to the mighty King of all Kings.
Sixth - DON’T MOVE until it’s gone.
You can manage anxiety or you can overcome it. You are an overcomer!
Lastly - IDENTIFY and RESIST.
Once you're on the other end of your anxiety try to figure out what triggered it. Was it a person, a situation, something you were trying to avoid, a lie you believed, etc.? If you can identify it then you will be able to put healthy boundaries in place to resist those situations later.
I can tell you that I still have my moments of anxiety and I hate them. But I can also tell you that I have also had my great moments of peace. Sometimes it has taken laying on the floor and seriously believing and making myself feel the peace of God flow over me like a river. If anyone would have walked in my house in these moments I know they would have thought I’d lost my mind. But they would have been right. I had lost my mind in those moments but God says that he gives us power, love, and a SOUND MIND! And his peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds. I believe God’s promises are true so I would do whatever I could to access them!
If you experience anxiety at any level I want you to hear me loud and clear when I say this. I understand it's real, I understand it's powerful, I understand that it is all encompassing. And although I have made it look so simple by listing out "7 tools to use against it" I know for a fact it is not simple and yes these tools work but there is nothing easy about using them. But I KNOW God's power is stronger than our anxiety, His spirit is within you, and you have what it takes to beat it. Give yourself time and patience but believe that there is a life for you that is free from anxiety. Then do whatever it takes to access it. Somedays it may beat you but other days it won't and with every moment of peace you experience you get a little bit closer to your freedom. Keep fighting!
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