Category Archives: Anxiety

May 23, 2014 · 6:30 am

Battling Anxiety: Draw Closer

Monday

Wednesday

Check out these links if you missed the earlier posts from Monday or Wednesday on Battling Anxiety

As someone who has personally struggled with anxiety, I know what it’s like to get frustrated and beat yourself up for persistent anxiety and worry. I also know that steps such as “Believe Truth” or “Surrender” aren’t necessarily going to cure your anxiety (although I believe they can bring an extra measure of peace to our lives because they bring us closer to God).

There are Bible verses that instruct us not to be anxious. And we try so hard to obey. We may logically know that God is in control and that he will provide–yet still suffer from unexplained anxiety.

I want to encourage you . . .

Don’t let your anxiety make you feel like a failure.

Of course, continue to pray about it. Ask God to remove your anxiety. Tell him you believe he will fully provide for all your needs and that you know he’s in control. Leave it in his hands. But . . .

Consider that God may use your anxiety to draw you closer to him.

If you still suffer from anxiety, use it as a means to draw close to God every day. Know that nothing in all creation can separate you from his love.

Nothing.

Fear cannot separate you from God’s love. Anxiety cannot separate you. Worry cannot separate you.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

When I was a child, I would worry about how much I worried. Mainly because the adults around me told me I worried too much (and that I was going to get an ulcer. Which I never did, by the way.)

So, take the advice of one who has been there. Don’t be anxious about being anxious. God’s love for you is bigger than you can imagine. Draw close to him. According to the wise words of Oswald Chambers,

“Never let cares or tribulations separate you from the fact that God loves you.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 19.

And I’ll leave you with a final quote from my upcoming release, Truth, Lies, and the Single Woman:

Join in the discussion . . . leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on anxiety and faith. Or whether you’ve ever been told you’re going to get an ulcer from worrying too much! 🙂

Be blessed!

Photo by: Michael McGaha

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Filed under Anxiety, Faith, Fear, Single Woman Book, Singleness, Truth Lies and the Single Woman, Who is God?

May 21, 2014 · 6:30 am

Battling Anxiety: Surrender

On Monday, we talked about the first step in battling anxiety–trusting God’s plan and hearing his truth.

The next step I want to propose is surrender. This is a tricky one. As a single woman until the age of 38, I had a love-hate relationship with surrendering my desires to God. I learned that surrender is not a one time action. For me, it was a daily struggle to surrender my plans and trust that God’s plan was better.

God’s grace is sufficient in all situations . . .

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

And we can trust God to meet all our needs . . .

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Surrender means sharing our desires with God and then leaving the outcome to him. The “leaving” is the difficult part for me. I want to pick it back up and hold it myself, fret about it, and then maybe give it back to him later when I’m sure I can’t fix the problem myself.

Anxiety holds on to control. Surrender means recognizing I’m not in control. It’s the daily practice of making our requests known to God and then trusting him to provide for us, just like he says he will do.

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 (NIV)

Be blessed!

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Filed under Anxiety, Faith, Single Woman Book, Singleness, Truth, Truth Lies and the Single Woman, Who is God?

Tagged as Anxiety, Faith, Single Woman Book, Singleness, Surrender

May 19, 2014 · 6:30 am

Battling Anxiety

I speak to a lot of women, both single and married, and many of us struggle with anxiety. We worry about our marriages, children, financial stability, and maybe even our purpose in life. Or we have anxiety because our lives lack some of those very things (marriage, children, money, or purpose).

When it comes down to it, the root cause of some of our anxiety can be traced back to a lie we believe…

If I were a better mother, my children wouldn’t behave this way.

I need to lose weight to be attractive.

There must be something wrong with me.

I’m not good enough.

I am in control of my life.

The battle to replace lies with truth is something we all face, regardless of marital status. When facing lies, we must put as much truth in our lives as possible.

Accepting God’s truth from the Bible is a great place to start. It helps us remain in the present moment instead of jumping to the future:

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5 (NIV)

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

This week, I’ll be sharing some quotes from my upcoming book, Truth, Lies, and the Single Woman (Beacon Hill Press, Oct 2014), as we look at how to trust God more and maybe fret a little less.

Be blessed!