When fear knocks, let gratitude answer the door.
Exhausted, my head hit the pillow, yet my mind didn’t seem to get the memo. Thoughts raced through my brain. My grown children are out of our watchful eye. The uncertainty of the world presses in. As I lie in bed, my thoughts whirl around as if they have their own propulsion.
Ugh, stop worrying. They will be fine. They have the tools to figure it out. Scripture tells us to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). Thanks, Apostle Paul, now I’m anxious about being anxious. I know I’m not supposed to worry, yet here I go again. How do we combat these wayward thoughts?
Anxiety is the fear of what might happen. It can even be defined as the fear of the future. It tangles the “what ifs” with the “might be” to create an unrealistic picture. Anxiety is never our friend.
Occasionally, a thought skitters through as if it has a will of its own. Those are the ones that move round and round, pestering us, especially at night, half asleep, when we should be at rest. Whether it is a nagging member of our to-do list or a worry that has no place there, we need the tools to shut it down.
Four ways to fight anxiety:
Let’s look at Philippians 4:6 in detail.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done” (NLT).
- Don’t worry. This is an invitation to give our worries to God. We don’t have to live this way.
- Pray about everything. That means all things. Every detail matters to God, and it is okay to share it with Him. He will listen. We see this age-old wrestling match in the Psalms as David cries out to God.
- Ask God to provide. Trust, He hears you because trust invites peace into the circumstance. Remember, we are standing on the victory that has already been provided for us.
- Thank God for what He has done and will do. Gratitude is an amazing weapon against anxiety. It turns our worry into a proclamation of faith.
His promises will quiet the wayward thought. This takes practice. One of my favorite prayers is simple: “I trust you, Jesus.” Sometimes it is on repeat until His peace surrounds me and fills me. Not because it takes repetition to get Him to answer, but because I need to believe it myself.
Thanksgiving prayers:
Worries are not allowed to have free rental space. Instead of worrying, let’s turn it into a prayer of thanksgiving.
- “She’s growing up so fast” becomes “Thank you, Lord, she’s able to go to college.”
- “He’s leaving home” becomes “Thank you, he has this new adventure to follow his dream.”
- “They might not make it without me” becomes “Thank you, they are learning independence.”
We can quiet those pesky thoughts and rest, knowing God is in control through God’s grace. Keep track of these worries-turned-to-thanksgiving. I love to write them down and then review them later. It’s a faith booster when you see God’s provision.
God is infinitely greater than everything, and His power is boundless. Creativity was birthed in His being. God is the source, the beginning, and the end. You know this. I know this. But do we live this way? In transforming into the women He desires us to be, we rely on His power through trust and thanksgiving.
