With the trauma the world is experiencing in parts, the anxiety and fear has been heightened due to the virus, in the year 2020. Anxieties and fear are high and spreading and embraced. The fear fueled by the uncertainties, death more of a reality and in the forefront of peoples mind all at one time. Death is not new, it happens daily throughout the world, but now the focus on it and the consequences from it has grasped the attention of the world irrespective of continent, color of skin,social status.
Self Isolation for some. The economical downfall, and so the anxieties and fear heightens.
Is there any hope for the Follower of Christ?
Let me give you a bit of testimony to encourage concerning Him…
For more than three and a half years I have spent in my bed, in at times severe pain but always pain.Some days able to get up and go sown stairs to get some breakfast to put food in my stomach for the med’s and then back to bed. Even moving in bed was painful, “BUT GOD…” one of the great provisions was HIS WORD, recalling it to my mind of verses I have no idea when I read them, but they would come to mind and I would meditate, saying word for word over and over and other verses on that topic coming to mind… Chewing on his Word, APPLYING it… and Psalm 1:1-2 speaks of this.
It was too difficult at times to read because of the pain, but the Word was in me and He could bring back what was in there. As He can for you!
So whats my point?
In this time of turmoil and temptation to anxiety, YOUR MIND has to be Governed, guided, guarded and if you are going to spend hours watching news programs on the virus etc, it will fill and dominate your mind and before you know it fear and anxiety is what will fill, control and dominate your thinking!
Did you Know the word “Anxiety” comes from two Greek words meaning “DIVIDE” and “the MIND.” What’s so important about that? Well, the first and greatest commandment is to Love the LORD your God with all your…MIND!
Anxiety Divides, distracts the mind from devotion to Loving God!
Our word “Worry” comes from an old German word meaning “to strangle!”
It is speaking of strangulation. Cutting off the ability to breath by choking, so you cannot breathe.
Worry is mental, emotional strangulation, cutting off the life of faith in the Spiritual realm!
It is detrimental to loving God with your mind! So be careful what you THINK on and give your thought life to!
Worry is a CHOICE. Worry is a HABIT. WORRY AND FEAR TRAVEL together as Luke 12 teaches, and its goal is to stop us from seeking first the Kingdom of God! God gives us a way to combat anxiety in Phil 4:6-7.
Maybe you could consider picking a time to look at the news or read it and keep up to date and then leave it, rather than spending so much time feeding your MIND and dwelling on it so as it begins to consume you with anxiety and fear!
PRAY for those in authority, Medical personnel and people. {Read 1 Tim 2:1-2}
Pray for opportunities for the Gospel.-{Read Matt 9:38}
PRAY ABOUT WHAT IS TEMPTING YOU TO BE ANXIOUS-{Read Phil 4:6-7}
PRAY about “Everything”-{Phil 4:6}.
*Turn your ANXIOUS THOUGHTS into PRAYERS. Don’t carry your burdens cast them on the LORD FOR He cares for you! -{Read 1 Peter 5:7}.
For example Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious in NOTHING” Grammatically it is written STOP HABITUALLY WORRYING.” They were worrying, A HABIT, and he tells them HOW TO STOP…'”…PRAY about EVERYTHING.” Nothing too small,insignificant, big, to pray about.
If it concerns you it concerns Him {Read 1 Peter 5:7}
if it concerns you, PRAY about it.
Talk to God! The word here “prayer” in Phil 4:6 speaks of ADORATION… the alternative to WORRY is WORSHIP…
Turn your temptation to Worry into a new habit, an Attitude and ACTS of WORSHIP…and the verse goes on to say what else to do and if you do this in verse 7 He promises PEACE to guard your MIND and Heart! It takes FAITH to be activated by you in His Word and if you do He promises PEACE of MIND…
THINK CONTENTIOUSLY ON TRUTH. How?
MEMORIZE AND MEDITATE upon His Word. TAKE A VERSE AND PLACE it on your phone or in different places in your home and look at it and read and re read and then throughout the day, for example when you brush your teeth have a card on the mirror with the verse and read it…as you brush over and over until you finish brushing your teeth and if you do that for a few days you will begin to memorize it without trying and the Holy Spirit can bring back to your mind what you have DEPOSITED into the bank of your mind!
Plus He can recall in order for you to HELP SOMEONE ELSE.You never memorize for yourself -{Read Ezra 7:10, Nehemiah 8}
PRAYER AND THE WORD! COMBAT ANXIETY AND FEAR!
One of The greatest gifts in my own journey of pain and constant battle with the TEMPTATION to worry has been to meditate and APPLY His Word! And when I failed which was often. Confess it and begin afresh! Application to Truth sets us free, When the anxious thought comes… PRAY FIRST… THINK ON TRUTH AND TRUTH APPLIED CONTINUOUSLY FREES US!
I hope this may encourage you…to Hide His Word in your mind. GUARD your Mind…He has used it over the years to help me in my own “isolation.”
OH yea, and the LIE that you can’t memorize is that…it’s a Lie… ask Him to HELP you and He will. It’s a prayer of dependence upon Him to help you.
I know He has helped me these years and He will help you in your time of difficulty, uncertainty. And use YOU to help others. For if we don’t know what He says what will we do? Offer some cliché, an opinion? No power in those, no God breathed comfort in those! They will be left with no hope and by that I mean the Biblical meaning of “certainty,” rather than only uncertainties, increased fear and anxiety for nothing to hold onto that can stabilize their mind and hearts!
But there are no uncertainties with God, He knows all and is able to meet us…and one of His provisions is the privilege of prayer which cost the life of His Son or you to have access to Him. -{Read Rom 5:1-2}And what does He require from you and me? To trust Him with our anxieties! We can “know” the right thing to do with them and deceive ourselves when we do not do what He says!
Information- Application- Transformation- Exaltation of God when we do take and apply His Word!
GUARD YOUR MIND- GOD HAS MADE PEACE FOR IT AVAILABLE TO YOU
He has Provided specific pattern of prayer in Philippians 4:6-7…
Prayer- His Word,-Trust! Meditating and applying His Word.
Truth applied brings transformation of mind -{Read Romans 12:2} – Trust Him! The evidence is applying His Word to your life!
TRUST HIM BY PRACTICING PRAYER HIS WAY and in doing so by exercising faith you PLEASE Him -{Read Heb 11:6} and GLORIFY Him {Rom 4:19-21}…How about that, the temptation to worry can be thwarted by prayer and faith to the end God is WORSHIPED, PLEASED AND GLORIFIED and you have PEACE of MIND and heart.
God provides a Pattern for us when tempted to be anxious, worry, and KNOW You can develop a new habit of Believing Prayer and Meditating, filling your mind with His Word, Applying it and being transformed as you develop and practice new Habits!
“Be anxious in nothing, BUT in everything by Prayer!”-{Phil 4:6-7
How about beginning with memorizing and meditating upon Philippians 4:6-7 for the next two weeks as fuel for your faith so the Holy Spirit can remind you when tempted with anxiety and fear? And be His vessel to help someone else in their times of temptation or when they have succumbed to anxiety and fear?
Will you trust Him with your Anxieties or continue to hold onto and risk the temptation of spiraling down into depression?{Read Prov 12:25}. Exchange your anxieties for His Peace by giving your anxieties to Him because He cares for you and has the ability to calm your mind and heart in the midst of troubling circumstances. It takes applying His Word because He is trustworthy and cares for you! 🙂