Many say that anxiety is something that’s easily controllable, or it’s all in your head. No. Wrong, very, very wrong.
I know from personal experience. When you have felt it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It can come from different situations but the most common characteristic in a person with an anxious heart is being a GREAT over thinker. It all starts with a thought. A single thought that you think about and then twist in the worst way. Usually at this point, you can tell yourself you’re being ridiculous and that you need to stop worrying. Then as the day goes by or you get lost in your own thoughts, those thoughts you just deemed ridiculous now make more and more sense. Maybe you WERE annoying them earlier. When the conversation got stale yesterday, you just KNOW that they think you’re such a boring person. You remember how you messed up yesterday talking to those people you barely knew? Yeah, now they’re going to forever-more think you’re awkward. Something that started out as a thought is now a feeling, whether whatever it stemmed from is true or not. It’s feels like a sinking hole in your chest and there’s nothing really you can do about it you feel until you redeem yourself or you feel that you’ve fixed the made up situation in your head.
Even if you aren’t overthinking, maybe you’re constantly stressed and worrying. Maybe your paycheck wasn’t as big as you thought it was going to be this week and you need gas money and groceries. Maybe your boyfriends being distant and you're worrying if his feelings are still the same. It can be basically anything and these things can bother someone with an anxious heart.
But, guess what. We’re not perfect. We are literally the farthest thing from it. I’ve had to realize this more and more especially since I’ve went to college and become more independent. Everybody messes up, everybody’s conversations get stale, everybody has said something that has earned them the title of Queen of Awkward for the day. Your paycheck wasn’t that much this time? Someone will probably help you out if you just ask. It’ll probably all be OK. A lot of times though, that doesn’t really help the anxious hearted person feel less anxious.
But, then there’s always something that never fails to comfort me. It is the fact that I have an amazing God that is more to me than just someone I go to church to worship on Sundays. He is my healer, my comforter, my counselor, and best of all, my friend.
He’s always there to listen when I do something ridiculous, stupid, or mean and feel bad about it later. His words are a constant reminder that He’s in control, not me. That idiotic thing I did earlier? He’ll fix it if that’s what is supposed to happen. I’m starving and all I have is $2? He’ll provide. (Good thing God let people make Taco Bell dollar menus) He is my rock, my sword, and my shield.
There are many verses in the bible that can help comfort those who may feel inadequate or feel a flood of fear and anxiety. These are those that I have read and reread countless times to comfort my anxious heart.
1. 1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” Someone much higher, mightier and loving cares for me more than anybody else on this Earth does. He’s big enough to tackle whatever obstacle is coming my way.
2. Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” I don’t know everything. When I mess up, maybe that’s actually everything falling into place even though I can’t see that at the time.
3. Matthew 6:25-26
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?...Look at the birds in the air ; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” He can take care of birds, He’s gonna take care of me - He’s got me.
4. Psalms 23:4
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me” Even in times that I just want to crawl up and die, Jesus is always there holding my hand, walking me through it and is in complete control of the situation.
5. Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in 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.” The bible says if you lack wisdom, you should ask and it will be given freely. If you’re angry, sad, depressed, any emotion in between about something, all we have to do is ask about it. God has a way of revealing reasoning behind things if we just look for them. If somethings bothering us, all we got to do is pray about it and know that it’s going to all work out in the best way if we just trust.
6. Deuteronomy 31:8
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Whether it be starting a new job, worrying if you’re going to have money to buy food and gas until you get paid, or something extremely bad, God’s always two steps ahead of you and is already there mapping out a way for you to get through it. Comfort can be taken in that.
7. Joshua 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans for you to prosper.” I always, ALWAYS worry about my future. Am I doing the right things? Am I wasting my time? But there’s no sense in that. God wants what is best for his children and as long as I trust in him, the right and best way will be shown to me.
If anything can be taken away from these verses, its that we shouldn’t be afraid or worry about anything. The same God that made the moon, stars, oceans, sun, and everything in between, also saw fit that the Earth needed one of you too. He’s not going to fail you or let you down and let some bad circumstance overtake you if you just trust. It may get hard, but He’s never going to make you go through it alone.
