I have suffered from anxiety since childhood. I can recall many hours of lost sleep, my mind racing and my body tense. As I got older, my anxiety worsened. It manifested in different ways; among them, I would have full-blown panic attacks, during which I’d hyperventilate or be sick to my stomach. The insomnia became more severe too. Eventually, I got counseling and started taking an anxiety medication.
MY GO-TO
Although the medication helps to level out my emotions, it isn’t a cure. Years ago, I read an article from a Christian perspective on battling anxiety. It centered on Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 in Christ Jesus.” This became my go-to passage whenever anxiety got the better of me. These verses tell us to take our requests to God through prayer and pleading, and to also give thanks in every situation. If we do this, we are promised the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
FEEL-GOOD CHEMICALS RELEASED WITH GRATITUDE
What especially speaks to my heart? The points about gratitude and the peace of God that surpasses understanding. An attitude of gratitude always makes me focus on what is good in my life. Anxiety focuses on what is bad or could go wrong. Also, (and this is AMAZING) a Google search revealed that when you experience or express gratitude, your brain releases “feel-good” chemicals, calms stress responses, and physically strengthens neural pathways associated with positive thinking and emotional regulation. HOW COOL IS THAT?! I don’t think it’s a coincidence that God designed our brains to respond to gratitude in this way, and then instructs us to give thanks when we are anxious.
RELEASED FROM HAVING TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING
What can produce anxiety? A large part of my anxiety stems from not knowing what’s going to happen, or even sometimes not understanding why I’m feeling anxious or stressed. I used to think “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” meant that His peace is too deep and supernatural for our human brains to comprehend. And it does! But it also means that God’s peace is BETTER than understanding! That was a huge “aha” moment for me when I realized that giving thanks to God and resting in His peace was more beneficial than trying to figure out why I was stressed or how to cope.
A WORK IN PROGRESS
I still get anxious. I am a work in progress. But now, when I begin to feel overwhelmed, I reflect on God’s grace and focus on turning it over to Him. I know that having His peace and relying on Him is far better than trying to understand or solve anything myself. Have you ever focused so much on understanding and resolving your own stress that you neglected to simply rely on God? Practice reflecting on God’s grace and focus on turning it over to Him
Prayer: Lord Jesus,
Thank you for Your Word and the truths it contains. Continue to help me combat anxiety with prayer, gratitude, and God-reliance and not self-reliance. You have proven Yourself trustworthy over and over. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.