One of my favorite sections from the Sermon on the Mount is when Jesus teaches about worry. He painted a vivid picture using very common things! He speaks about the birds, the lilies of the field, and the wildflowers. I can actually see them all in my mind's eye! All these beautiful creations that never worry about anything. They don't worry about when or what to eat, where to bloom or how long to bloom. They just simply live. They do what they were created to do.
Oh how I long to be like the birds, lilies and wildflowers!
In my younger years, I think I lived more of a "wildflower" kind of life than I do now in my seasoned years. I think the change came several years ago when I found myself stuck in the corner of a small elevator with several of my students crammed in there with me! They, of course, thought seeing how many they could get in the elevator was funny - I, on the other hand, did not! At that moment I felt like I had the power of the Incredible Hulk and if they didn't let me out I would physically move them!!! Was it my tone, my face . . . I'm not sure what happened, but they moved! Since then I've had a unhealthy sense of anxiety/fear about enclosed spaces, which unfortunately has created other insecurities and anxieties in life.
People who've never experienced anxiety often have "answers" to "help". They mean well. I appreciate that they want to help, and a lot of what they say is true. Not to be ungrateful but, I already know "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13), and I know God tells me, in several verses, that He will never leave me or forsake me, and that He'll never give me more than I can handle. A well meaning friend or family member can tell me this over and over again - but I am the one who has to put it into practice. I have to believe it in my heart and head, which will lead my hands and feet to follow!
So - why don't I? What's holding me back? The Thief.
He comes to steal, kill and destroy . . . and he can be very convincing!
I'm learning that worry, (fear and anxiety) immobilizes me, it causes me to freeze in fear. It keeps me from doing what I know I need to do, it even keeps me from things I want to do! I need to find where fear lives in my life and evict it!!!
I'm also learning the difference in worry and genuine concern. When I have a genuine concern about something - it moves me into action. It opens my eyes to the possibility of getting past the fear instead of hiding from it. I'm not there yet, but reading God's Word, giving praise to Him and singing the name of Jesus gets me one step closer every day!
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else . . . "
Matthew 6:33, says it well. And when I do this - when I keep my focus on God and my eternal home, I let go of all the "what ifs", the "I can't", the self doubt, and it leads me to see all that God can do and will do when I open up and let the Holy Spirit move in my life!
If you are a person who deals with anxiety, worry and fear - you're not alone. I can't say I know how you feel, because even though we might have similar circumstances and situations - we are unique. But, I will say that I know where my help comes from - and even though my faith and trust aren't all that it should be, all the time, it's so much better than it was!
I know God to be great listener. I know I am encourage when I talk to Him. And, I know when I seek His will and ways, He shows them to me.
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