Victory over Anxiety

 Devotion 9 - Victory over Anxiety

 

Matt. 6:25-34 – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

 

According to a  study on temptation from the Barna Group, a Christian-focused research outfit, the number one temptation with regard to sin is worry or anxiousness. Sadly, many people live their lives crucified between two thieves—the regrets of yesterday and the anxieties of tomorrow.

 

We often allow the pain, guilt or regrets of our past or obsession with the fears of the future unknowns to rob us of our joy and peace in the Lord. When preoccupied with the negativity of the past and future, our minds can be the creators of its own suffering. Both these negative emotions cause us to work against ourselves and hinder our fellowship with God.

 

Worries & Anxiety

Unconsciously, worrying can give us a false sense of responsibility. Many feel that if we do not worry about the problem, then it seems that we are not being responsible. We are often deceived to believe that if we worry over our problems enough, we will eventually find a solution. But research shows the opposite: in fact, brooding reduces our ability to solve problems and it is absolutely useless. It does not solve tomorrow’s trouble and yet robs us of today’s peace. Through worrying, the mind can end up making things far worse, as we become enmeshed in overthinking. Before we know it, we are overwhelmed by deep-seated stresses, anxieties and sadness. If we want to trust God, we need to learn to let go of that false control and focus our minds on the realities of God instead. Practically, this is how we “let go and let God.”

Lk. 21:34 – “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”

 

Jesus warns us not to let our heart be weighed down or what other translations term “dulled” - a certain mindset, an over concern or participation in the wrong things, can lead us to a drugged state, spiritually speaking. When “worries of life take over,” we cannot think clearly or act decisively, worse, it will hinder us from hearing the still small voice of God. A cluttered mind increases our incapacity to draw close to and hear God.

Instead of ruminating repeatedly over past event, hurt, anger and disappointment, prayerful mindfulness can help us to recognize the thought pattern that draws us into low and depressive moods. We can then consciously defuse it out of our minds by refocusing our attention on the goodness of God.

The word “anxiety” in Greek means “dividing and fracturing a person's being into parts”. So literally, we live in tension and pull ourselves into parts when we worry and live in anxiety. Mindfulness integrated with the Christian faith can help us battle against negative thought patterns and empower us to live in joy and peace in the Lord. The goal of mindfulness is not to stop thinking or to clear the mind. Instead, the goal is to work skilfully with our thought life which gives us the means to decide what to do with these thought experiences and how to respond.

Taking Captive of our Thought life

The Scripture exhorts us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). This intentional approach to our thought life is a prerequisite for our mental transformation exhorted in the book of Romans: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds” (Rom 12:2).

We need to learn to weave mindfulness into our daily life so that we are more discerning of distractive thoughts. Mindfulness will help keep us more grounded to live in the presence of God.

Isa. 26:3 – “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You…”

 

Mindfulness helps to anchor our awareness.  It helps to escort your attention back to God’s providence. Instead of being tossed to and fro by every wind and wave of emotion and thought, we begin to live from our spirit where the peace of God resides. We can stop the vicious circle of negativity from feeding off itself and triggering the next spiral of negative self-talk.  We draw out the spirit of peace to filter away every negative emotion.

Through mindfulness, God’s love will not be just a theological truth, but it will descend from the mind to our heart and become a reality that replenishes and energizes our daily life. 

The practice of mindfulness helps us recognise why we are feeling what we are feeling. It is like seeing things from a high mountain, a vantage point, from which it gives us a tremendous sense of perspective. This pure awareness transcends thinking. It allows us to step outside the chattering negative self-talk and our reactive impulses and emotions. It allows us to look at our problem once again with a new perspective.

 

Our Future is God’s Past

 

God lives in “Eternal Moment” with no beginning or end.

 

Eccl.3:15; 6:10 - “Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past…everything has already been decided.

While life is full of uncertainty, we need to recognise that our future is God’s past. God dwells in eternity and His plans are all laid out for eternity. In other words, what seems to be the future to us already existed in God’s eternal plan. If only we are mindful of this truth, we can trustfully surrender all our worries and concerns to His sovereignty and rest in His divine providence of protective care.

When we focus on the present moments with God, we can have a sense of being present with the reality of where God exists. It gives us the awareness and causes us to be mindful of God’s constant care and providence in our life.  Brother Lawrence in his famous classic book ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ calls it the “sacrament of the present moment.”

 

Mindfulness brings us back, again and again, to full conscious awareness of who God is in our lives. It helps us to become fully conscious of the sanctity of life again, that our life is sacred and is a gift from God. It keeps us grounded and brings our life back into alignment with God so that we can make intentional choices rather than being constantly side-tracked into the busyness of life. In the process, it will progressively liberate us from unhappiness, fear, anxiety and exhaustion and will enhance our walk with the Lord.