It shows up at any age and wreaks havoc on its victims – it knows no boundaries and will attach itself and try to suck the very life out of its victims. It knows no age, ethnic group, religion, not gender specific, it will thrive in its host if allowed. Anxiety – is not pleasant in the least and paralyzes those it touches. Every waking minute can be a battle and if left unchecked will continue to metastasize until it overtakes its host.
For those who experience anxiety, it can leave little hope for the future. Every hour and every minute of the day is a war from within that continues to fester and only gets worse as time goes by. Anxiety can steal our joy for today, and dash any hope for tomorrow. A sinking ship to which there is no lifeboat.
We can rationalize that if we’re stuck in a rut of anxiety there is nothing we can do to overcome the enemy from within. But what we perceive as rational is anything but. There is authentic hope and peace available to all of us. Even if it seems impossible to us when anxiety is raging. There are tools available to help us overcome what ails us.
God never meant for us to face this battle alone.
Simply being a follower of Christ does not insulate us from trials and in fact, we may find ourselves under attack more frequently. We have an enemy that seeks to destroy us every chance he gets.
John 10:10 tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Satan would like nothing more than to sideline us from the call God has placed on our lives. When anxiety rears its ugly head it can easily entrap us from living our best life. When we are anxiety-filled it leaves very little room for Christ to do His work in and through us. Anxiety sucks, it sucks out our joy and replaces it with fear and trepidation. Leaving us feeling empty inside.
A dreadful diagnosis, financial struggles, strife in our marriage, a wayward child, job uncertainty, and fear of tomorrow can easily create the perfect storm. When we focus only on the negatives of life and do not look vertically for help, we will quickly find ourselves in quicksand pulling us under and away from our lifesaver.
There is hope amid the trials we face. God never expected us to do life alone. It’s impossible to move forward if we’re not reaching out to the one who knows us best. He knows the struggles that we are going through and He is there to lift us out of the negative cycle of anxiety that enslaves us. He provides hope and healing for the weary, a peace that can only be found in the One who created us.
Prayer, meditating on the Word, counseling and even meds can help to assist. When you’re living with intense non-stop anxiety it can make it difficult to pray or even read the Bible, but the alternative is attempting to go out at it alone. I can only assume that trying to do it on your own isn’t working too well. If anxiety has made it difficult to pray and read the Bible, it may be time for other interventions.
Counseling including faith-based counseling can certainly help. Just being able to speak with someone can help alleviate some of the symptoms you may be facing. It often helps to talk it out and come up with a plan of action to help cope or prayerfully overcome anxiety.
The Christian community has often stigmatized anxiety medications. It has improved over the years and most have learned that medications can help. Just as someone may have cancer or some other type of physical ailment, medical intervention is needed. The same can be said for those suffering from a mental ailment. Although medications alone will not magically remove anxiety they can help the sufferer on the road to recovery.
Take time today to seek God and meditate on the Word. Several passages can help you through this difficult time.
Top Verses for Anxiety
- Philippians 4:6-7
- 1 Peter 5:6-7
- Psalm 55:22
- Matthew 6:34
- 2 Timothy 1:7
Know that you are not alone and you can overcome your anxiety. There is hope in Christ and real healing can take place. Satan wants nothing more than to destroy you but God has created an opportunity to seek Him and find hope through the struggles you are facing.
Onward my Christian friend.