Reflections of Grace 51: Living from the Heart – Combating Anxiety

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What one usually fears, at the root level, is a kind of death. We fear a death of a part of ourselves, the death of a job, the death of a move, death of an income, death of ourselves….and the list goes on. When we think of certain big transitional periods in our lives, we often experience a lot of change. Change invokes the death of something in our minds… the ending of something.

A change usually requires some letting go of old thoughts, behaviors, people, situations, and ways of being . And then we can experience the new and fresh. But if we let anxiety take over we become paralyzed and defeated.

The truth is that we won’t actually die, but somewhere within our psyche, we feel as though we are LITERALLY going to die.

Once we get past that initial fear and insert a healthy comforting tool, we can move towards the new. We must, in turn, accept what we most fear. You have to ask yourself…what is the worst that can happen?

And within that answer comes reality. I won’t die!

Here are some tools for you to begin to gain ground in this fight against fear:

Admit to yourself that you are experiencing anxiety because if you deny it.. it only gets worse. Face it head on. Make a decision to not react to it. Instead focus on deep breathing. Focus only on the breathing and Jesus. Picture Him right besides you and breathe in His all encompassing peace, and breathe out the anxiety and fear. Make sure the breaths are from your diaphragm and not your chest in shallow puffs. Take a deep full breath in through your nose, making sure your belly expands on the inhale, and out through your mouth, and the belly contracts.
Listen to sweet worship music and focus on the words. Drown out the fearful thoughts.
Whisper the name of Jesus…the bible says that at the mention of that name, every knee has to bow, in heaven and in earth….this means that when you say His name, the enemy of fear can’t stay around…it has to leave…
…fear and perfect Love cannot dwell together.
Learn to train your mind to be on guard against the thoughts that come from– THE VOICE–and that voice usually comes from our enemy or just our own minds (and past voices that spoke negativity into our lives) where the enemy has planted his imagery of death.
When you feel the thoughts coming of impending doom, immediately start the breathing, the name of Jesus, and a favorite verse you can say over and over again. And if you need it, put on that music!

Two thoughts cannot dwell in your mind at the same time. One or the other has to go. I choose to eradicate the fear thought.

Trust that, no matter what, within your new heart lies the ability to get through anything. Trust Him–He will walk you through it.

This is a battle with the principalities and powers of the air, the warfare for my life and the fight is not mine but His. As long as I envelope myself in Him He will not let me sink into that raging sea.

It is not complicated though we try to make it so, don’t we? There is no formula, no works, no traditions, nothing that we can fall back on that will move us out of anxiety and into the peace that passes all understanding… except His love.
He is Love itself, and He promises that He will NOT ever forsake us.

….for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Hebrews 13:5b (AMP).

Now more than ever, hear the Father inviting you to draw nearer to him than you ever have before. Don’t do that by redoubling your efforts to prove your love to God by good works or increased religious activity.

Rather, come to the quiet and cultivate a transforming relationship with the Lord of Glory. Paul knew that only as we grew to know him better would his presence become more real and more satisfying than our own sins, appetites and distractions.