Overcoming Anxiety

Do you find yourself feeling anxious most of the time? Well, in case you are uncertain about the word, below is a definition from the dictionary to make things clearer for you.

Anxiety
A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.

As we can see here, anxiety has more to do with our fears concerning the future. Simply put, anxiety is all about those fearful "what ifs."

"What if I won't make it in time? What if I'll get sick? What if I'm never gonna get married? What if I'm gonna lose all my money? What if I won't get accepted in the program? What if he/she won't like me? What if I fail? What if it's too late? What if... What if... What if...?"

Clearer? Yup, that's right. Anxiety comes from that bundle of fear we've got tucked up in our minds. They' re all right there sticking close to our hopes and dreams about the future. In other words, where there is hope and ambition, anxiety isn't far behind.

See, for everything and anything that you and I are hoping for right now, whether it be in the area of ones career or personal life, there will always be something in this world that would cause one to be apprehensive about them.

Call it a goal. Call it an ambition. Call it a sense of purpose. Whatever it is, it's what's driving you to live on everyday. And when that is threatened, for most people the panic button gets turned on. Sleepless nights begin to invade us. We get restless and moody during the daytime. We end up either eating or drinking too much or not at all. We begin to make bad judgments about everything. And sooner than we think we begin to feel that we just can't do anything right anymore. We begin to see our whole lives falling apart before our very eyes. We end up fearing anything that has to do with hope. In fact, for some people, hope brings nothing more than pain.

This is sad. More than that, it's paralyzing. Very few people really get to recover from this advanced state of anxiety. And to think of it, it's all in our minds.

Time and time again we find in the Bible a constant reminder by God about guarding our hearts and minds from the enemy's cunning. The reason for this is obvious. Being our creator, God knows what fear can do to His people. In fact, we find armies in the Bible that were conquered simply through psychological warfare. It didn't matter how massive the arsenal was of the opposing forces. The very instance fear struck them, the only strength that remained was spent on escape.

In other times, anxiety would be the cause of sin. Take the example of the Israelites during the time Moses sent people to spy out the land that the Lord had already promised to give them. Upon their return this was the news that they brought back to the rest of the people.

So they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there... We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we...There we saw giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." - Numbers 13:26-33 (NKJV)

The hope of the entire journey of the Israelites at that time was this land "flowing with milk and honey." Did they arrive? Yes. However, anxiety soon struck them upon seeing the inhabitants that were their. Thoughts began to corrupt the peoples minds upon hearing the anxious words of some that came back from examining the land.

"...we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

This soon led most of the Israelites to murmur against the Lord.

Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in the wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword , that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" - Numbers 14:1-3 (NKJV)

Hope melted away and was turned to anxiety, all in the account of the bad news that they had heard. They soon forgot about the might and promise of God. They began to murmur against Him and turned their hearts away from the blessed hope that was promised to them.

Friends, we need to overcome our anxieties before they overcome us. And there is a better way than just taking pills or engaging in activities that help us to forget about the things that you and I will constantly be thinking about. The solution is found in Christ Jesus. It is found in the peace and assurance that He pours down upon us when we present to Him our case. The Bible tells us,

Be anxious for nothing, 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 through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7(NKJV)

He will guard our minds and hearts. He will pour down peace and assurance upon us which surpasses all understanding. All that you and I have to do is pray.

Just talk to Him. Tell Him how you feel. And trust Him to carry you through with thanksgiving in your heart.

Pray. And you will overcome your anxieties with God's peace.

Marvelous faith is the product of understanding

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!... Go your way; and as you believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. - Matthew 8:5-13(NKJV)

It was like any day in the ministry of the Lord, when people would just come up to Him asking for a healing there and a miracle here. However, in this particular case our Lord was in for a really wonderful treat.

Upon hearing of the case about the centurion's servant, the Lord immediately responded as He usually would with any request, "Alright, I'm coming, lets go on over to your place..."

But just when He was about to go on His way to the centurion's house, He was halted by a rare declaration of faith. The centurion explained to Him a couple of things:

1. He wasn't worthy. Which means he knew exactly who Jesus was. He understand that our humble Lord was higher and holier than any emperor that could possibly exist. And if those people made you feel inferior enough, how much more the King of kings, the Emperor of emperors, the God of gods! He understood that no one in his country would dare ask an emperor to come to his home just to see a servant. How much more would one dare to ask the creator of all things to travel for the same task.

2. He understood the meaning of authority. He was a soldier and a commander. At his very command people's lives could be taken and given back to them. And at the very command of his emperor his life could be taken with just a simple word. The centurion explained that he understood the authority that Jesus had and still has today. That with a single word nothing shall be impossible. And with that, the centurion only needed a Word.

What was the result of this friend?

When Jesus heard it, He marveled,...

He marveled! Jesus was astonished! Wow! What faith! What faith!

Friend, what can we learn from all this today? Well, we learn that suprising God with our faith is definitely a plus. Marvelous faith! And how do we come about having marvelous faith? Well, let me tell you. It's through understanding who Jesus Christ really is and applying that daily in our lives.

Do you desire marvelous faith? Then it would help you a lot to desire a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ.

Humility vs. Pride

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. - Matthew 3:13-15 (NKJV)

Waiting in lines, holding on the phone, taking the last place, all speak about one thing: humility.

The thing about humility that really bothers most people is the thought of being:

- under and not on top
- inferior and not superior
- a servant and not a master
- last and not first
- a loser and not a winner
- dependent and not independent
- poor and not rich

The list can be so much longer than this but I think you get the point.

Most people are so unwilling to be placed under a higher power. Everyone wants to be the boss. Everyone yearns for absolute power. The trouble with this attitude is that it also reflects in our unwillingness to yield to God.

However, Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, took a different turn one day when he came to the river Jordan to be baptized by John the baptist. John, upon seeing Him, immediately knew his place in the scene. John knew who he was looking at and he made it very clear to the Lord that he also knew who should be baptizing who. Jesus, however, said something that left John with nothing less than one of the most humbling experiences in all his life.

"Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

All righteousness. Not some righteousness. But all.

Friend, keep this reminder close with you. Remember, that the highest people in life are not those who are feared, but rather, they are those who are respected. Respect comes to those who are willing to exalt or lift others up and not to those who bring people down. God bless you!

Humility breeds righteousness and respect.
Pride breeds corruption and condemnation.

Get Intimate with God

...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. - 1John 1:3-4 (NKJV)

Why is a "personal relationship" with the Lord Jesus important? Well, there are many reasons for that. A very important one is the fact that the Christian life has a lot of private and personal elements to it--like prayer.

It's true that Christianity has a whole bunch of group activities. Camps, group bible studies, worship services, prayer meetings, etc. Wonderful gatherings that are designed and implemented to help us in arriving to a certain point of maturity in our walk with Jesus Christ while we interact with people of kindred spirits. Each of these activities serve a purpose. However, we must remember that no matter how enjoyable they may be, they are only means to an end. These activities shouldn't be our focus, but rather, our focus should be on what these activities are supposed to develop in us.

A personal relationship with the Lord brings with it what any personal relationship would--privacy and intimacy. Of course not the type of privacy and intimacy that lovers engage in. Rather, the type of intimacy that a father and his child would. A time to get away from the rest. And just spending hours on end talking with each other--enjoying each others company. Relating or sharing to each other events, issues, burdens, or joys of the day. A relationship that's warm and meaningful. This is the point.

Friend, are you active in church activities and yet feel that something is missing? Well, maybe there is. Maybe you' ve been spending too much time with other people and not enough time with God. Think about it.

Read the Bible... diligently.

"My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God."
- Proverbs 2:1-5 (NKJV)

I find that most of us are more interested in being heard rather than listening to what other people have to say. The result of this is a world of loud mouths with very few people listening on the other end. And because we all want to be heard by people who we feel don't really listen to us--we all end up raising our voices higher and higher everytime. This tells me one thing. We all need a good lesson in listening.

God, on the other hand, has taken a different route. God has chosen to speak to us in a softer tone. So soft, that if we don't "seek her as silver" and as "hidden treasures" we will never receive His messages. He does this in a hope that we all might quiet down and really learn to listen.

How do we start lending our ears to God?

Well, did you know that everytime you open your Bible and really take the time to read and meditate on His Word that you are actually teaching yourself to listen to Him?

Friend, keep this reminder close with you. Remember, that everytime you open your Bible and really give it your full attention you're lending your ears to God. The reward? Well, maybe God will take more time in listening to what you have to say. This is what relationships are all about. God bless you!