A contribution by Daniela Polo —
Anxiety – A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
Anxiety? We have all dealt with some forms of anxiety; whether it be before making a big decision or just day-to-day circumstances that arise that cause us to worry. The truth is, as long as we are on Earth we will deal with situations that will cause us to feel worry. The decision on whether or not those circumstances will control our emotions and life is completely up to us! The good news is that the Bible actually tells us that God wants us to literally CAST our anxiety on Him. This means that God is extremely intentional with His children not living with anything that will replace peace in our lives, hearts and mind.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” 1 Peter 5.6-8 [NIV]
The first step is casting all our anxiety on Jesus. The word cast literally means “to throw” something. It’s the act of realizing that anxiety is not our cup to carry. The scripture tells us to be alert and sober minded after we have decided to give Him our anxiety. Every time I read this passage, the phrase “sober mind” calls out to me. When I think of having a sober mind I think of having a mind that is full of truth. A mind that isn’t filled with false thoughts that the enemy wants to cause us to believe everyday. I also believe that having a sober mind is filtering our thoughts with the help of Holy Spirit.
When anxiety wants to creep in, do we let those things make a home in our minds? Or do we align them to the truth that we have in our Father.
God is supernatural. He has the ability to do as he pleases. Yet in His greatness, He allows us to live lives where we actually are taught to govern as His children -deciding to live powerful or powerless lives. I love how direct and clear the verse 1 Peter 5.6-8 is, because right after casting our anxiety on Jesus and renewing our minds to have a God-filled mind, the Word tells us that the enemy is actually looking to devour us. Interestingly enough, that same scripture that teaches us what to do with our anxiety, also warns us that the enemy wants to devour us. Coincidence? I don’ t think so!
When we let anxiety harbour in our mind and in our thoughts, we give room for ungodly beliefs to reign in our lives -which can eventually lead us to not trusting God or from seeing Him for who He actually is. Anxiety loves to disguise itself in a word we all hate… pride. Anxiety is pride that has not yet given birth because when we partner with anxiety it shows that we trust our own ability, our own solutions rather than the Father’s ability.
It’s confronting but the truth is that when we believe the lies that our circumstances are too big for God, we are not in a place of complete surrender to God. Yes, you will feel fear. Yes, you will feel anxious. NO, you do not have to stay there. If we are full of anxiety, its evident that we are not trusting God with our lives, or maybe we are not spending time with Him or reading His word.
Jesus encountered so many things that could have caused him to be an anxious person, but even being the son of God he humbled himself everyday by spending time with the Father. A delay in the secret place (prayer) is the ticking time bomb of the enemy’s lies replacing Gods truth. When anxiety creeps in, it tends to feel as though it has power to overtake our entire day or month and even over our lives. But by knowing the nature of our Father, that will make anxiety bow down to His attributes. Spending time with Jesus and knowing his attributes will enable us to overcome anxiety.
“You cannot trust God when you do not know who He is.”
I won’t believe that God is for me, nor that he takes care of me if I do not make a priority of getting to know him in my life. Imagine if we actually believed that God was our provider, our comforter, our Father and etc… We wouldn’t let anxiety rob us from our peace. The peace that we have cost Jesus his life. When we recognize that anxiety is just a trap set up for us, we will overcome with the help of the Holy Spirit.
If you’re ready to BREAK UP with anxiety and live a free life, trusting in God… I invite you to commit to knowing the attributes of the Father and discerning the lies that the enemy causes you to believe in times of hardship!
“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 [NIV]
