Life does a job on us sometimes. Troubles of all kinds seem to assault us from every angle. Worry sets in and our peace slips away. It’s easy to feel like a victim.
I know. My husband knows. For nearly two years he has been struggling with heart issues. It has been very scary.
Each new trip to the emergency room, and every new procedure the doctors attempted reawakened a horrible avalanche of “what-ifs.” It seemed like we were in a constant state of fear. It was miserable. WE were miserable.
I have to admit that I’ve always been a bit of a worrier
God gifted me with a great sense for detail. It comes in very handy when I’m planning and writing. I suspect that’s what God intended it for. But, it also allows me to think of more ways that things could go wrong than the average person. Contrary to God’s plan for it, I can actually choose to utilize His gift to fuel my fears.
In fact, we got so used to feeling fear that when we began to get good reports that his heart was strengthening and his tests were good, we didn’t trust them. We still lived in a state of high alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop. We weren’t exactly the poster children for victorious living. Sadly, we had become victims of our own thinking.
We still had more to learn about finding peace
A little over a month ago we got another unexpected shock. Quite by accident, we discovered that my husband has kidney cancer. Time after time we have seen God’s hand in this new journey. He has made it very clear to us that he has everything under control. Unfortunately, our old pattern of worry and fear was reawakened by this new health crisis. So much could go wrong—disasterously wrong.
This time, however, we have begun to understand more about replacing the fears with peace. It all starts with a tiny little verse found in 1 Peter 5:7. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I’ve heard it hundreds of times. Maybe you have too. But I never realized the power in that simple verse.
God assures us that whether our problems are big or small, He can handle them all. Our job is to seek him and treat ourselves with care. The two go hand in hand.
Offloading our concerns will help us relax. It’s easier to do what is right and beneficial when you are in a place of peace. Solutions are easier to find in times when our mind and emotions are calm. We cannot find true peace without God and we cannot contain both peace and worry in our hearts at the same time. We have to eliminate the anxiety to experience the peace.
Time is of the essence
We are learning that casting our cares on him is a minute by minute commandment. To gain and maintain God’s peace we need to run quickly to him. We don’t have the luxury of letting anxious thoughts grow. The minute we begin to feel unsettled we need to STOP and give those first twinges to him before they have time to grow. We need to speak our concerns to HIM, instead of mulling them around in our brain for hours or days.
If we got a cut on our finger, we wouldn’t just keep pushing forward without attending to the bleeding. That would be messy and delay the healing. It’s a natural instinct for us to go immediately to clean it out and bandage it up. In the same way, when we feel fear we need to go immediately to God to have it cleaned out and cared for.
This simple concept has made a world of difference for us. Yes, the fears still come. We sometimes let the anxiety linger too long and we suffer because of it. But, little by little, we’re learning to RUN to God to hand over the things that threaten to rob us of our peace.
Some days it takes MANY trips to the throne of God, but that’s OK. God is there every time with hands outstretched to take our latest burden.
Are YOU struggling with anxiety or fear?
God’s promises are for ALL of us!
In John 14:27 Jesus said
” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.”
He wants us to be free of fear and anxiety and able to live in His peace,
TODAY’S CHAT: What points of anxiety do you need Jesus to carry for you today?
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