Ovecoming Anxiety and Worry

By: Francine Costanza, MA, LCPC 

In this world it is an accomplishment to keep free from anxiety and worry. So many things happen beyond our control. Daily there are things in the news that cause us all to shudder. How can we keep a positive attitude? How can we bounce back over and over again?

What I have found to be the best antidote for worry and anxiety is the Word of God. There are many verses which speak to us about what to do when we are plagued by disappointment, fear and worry. God wants us to trust Him no matter how trying the times. He wants us to turn to Him for strength, for comfort and for direction. A relationship with God would be pretty unimportant if we could do everything with ease and control every adversity.  The longer I live the more I realize how little I can really control and how much I need the Lord each day. Reading the scriptures reminds me of how to think which I need often because it's easy to slip into negative thoughts and doubt.  Just as we need food and water to maintain a strong healthy body we also need spiritual nourishment to have a strong and healthy spirit and mindset.  2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive  to the mind of Christ. As we read and re-read the Bible, these verses become internalized. When trouble comes, rather than fear the worst, we can rest in the knowledge that God is in control and that He will work all things out for good for us. (Romans 8:28). 

Below are some verses which are well worth memorizing or at least keeping in a convenient place to refer back to when fear and doubt take over.  God promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5).  The more we trust those words and turn to Him in our times of need, the stronger we will get and the freer we will be to think positive no matter what the circumstances.  And in this way, the power of Christ is evident in this dark world. 

The recent events in Las Vegas were  horrible and devastating. Yet in the midst of such evil, the love and courage of many was witnessed and experienced. People helped one another, police stood in the way of fire to protect those who were there. Everywhere kindness and support were shown.  No-one and no-thing can stop love and goodness from flourishing just as darkness cannot put out the light. May we trust that God will give us the strength to meet whatever challenges come before us. Through Him we can have peace and know that the victory is ours in Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.”  John 14:27

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7 

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  1 John 4:18

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"  Luke 12:22-24

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:30

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

Who is Calling

Through the years I’ve been awed by two books; God Calling and Jesus Calling.  The first was written anonymously by two Catholic nuns who met together and listened for what they heard God saying to them.  It was a book of hope and comfort to me during a difficult time in my life.  The second, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, has been a blockbuster best seller in the Christian community for a few years now.  She shares in her introduction, that she was inspired by the book God Calling and decided to write her own book through listening to God speak to her.

  

Since reading these two books, I have tried my hand at writing down what I think I hear God saying to me.  It proved to be a wonderful exercise and a blessing as the words that came were ones of love, hope, wisdom and meaning to me.  

Here are a few examples of what came to me when I listened for God to speak to me.  Sometimes a Bible verse I had read would motivate me to begin as in this example:

(Psalm 94:19) When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.

(What I felt that God said to me) “You are bogged down by many worries, even though you know Me and My love.  It is because you are easily deceived by the world and influenced by appearances.  You think that your security is based on the physical.  But your security is found in Me.  You need to get that.”

Another time, this came to mind:

“Do not fret or worry.  Trust Me.  Remember Who I am, the One Who loves you, the One Who has brought you into existence, the One Who died and rose again to give you life.  I am your Father, you can count on Me.  You can trust in My love.  You can trust in My promises.  I forgive you for everything.  I give you eternal life.  In this world are struggles and difficulties.  You know that I overcame the world and I am in you to overcome the things that you face in this world.  You are made for My kingdom which is eternal and which will come at the appointed time.  Have faith in My words and feel my Spirit in you, which is love, joy, peace and all that is good.  Rejoice that you and yours belong to Me and My kingdom. All I have is shared with all My children.  My love is larger than all the oceans and more than every grain of sand, more than all the stars above and all the molecules of life.  Live in My love.”

And one more:

“Guess what? I want you to be happy!  This often surprises people as they grow in their awareness of Me.  Happiness is not something which I give you permission to have.  It is My will for you.  You were designed to experience true happiness, lasting happiness, unashamed happiness. The happiness that I am talking about is not the same as that derived from earthly pleasure.  It is not dependent on such pleasures in order to exist.  It comes from the relationship you have with Me and the outpouring of My love onto your life and relationships with others.  It is similar to joy but it is lighter.  None the less, happiness does have a place in My kingdom and in the hearts of My children.”

This last sample kind of surprised me as often the definition of happiness described by believers is more carnal, based on worldly accomplishments, material gain, etc.  But I’ve often thought about the definition of “blessed,” given in Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, which means “to be happy.”  And according to the Bible, God does want to bless us.  So I guess that means He wants us to be happy! Happy in a way that can’t be taken from us because it is rooted in something far greater and indestructible, the Creator of the universe, Who loves us and died for us to free us from the power of sin, that we may live forever with Him.  We may not always be happy because bad things happen in this world.  But I believe it is our destiny and God will continue to bring us true happiness as we spend time in His presence.

This writing exercise is something that anyone can do if they believe in the Lord Jesus, have 20 minutes of spare time, paper and a pen (or a device to type on!).  I have always spent some time in God’s Word before attempting this and think it is best to start with reading some Scripture.  So how about giving it a try?  Instead of reading someone else’s version of what God is saying to them, or someone’s devotional book, listen for God’s devotion to you.  Write it down, believe what comes to mind, remember it and treasure it.  My guess is that it will be more positive, uplifting and compassionate than you might expect.  It certainly was for me. 

Some people may worry and think, “What if it’s just my thoughts coming through?  How dare I think they are God’s thoughts?!”  To that I would say; do they match up with Scripture? If they are speaking truth, then why fear?  And if they are just human thoughts then so be it.  I would never be so bold as to claim that these are absolutely from God.  But if they do not contradict God’s Word, I do not think there is any harm in having what feels like a two-way conversation with God, especially if accompanied by His Word and prayer.

May God richly bless you in your adventure through life and may He inspire you to meet with Him regularly, hopefully for a joy-filled, two-way conversation!

 

By: Francine Costanza, LCPC

 

 

 

Anxiety Today

What is anxiety? Is it a feeling of dread? Is it like a knot in your stomach that won’t go away?  Is it constant worry over things you can’t control, or being overly concerned about one thing or another?  Essentially it is all of these things and it can take hold in our minds and even our bodies and often won’t let go.