Acts of Trust in the age of Anxiety

Are there circumstances in our present age distracting you and causing you anxiety? I'm guessing yes. Today I want to tell you how to find a Godly alternative to those anxious feelings. 

We all know how to be anxious. What most people do not know is how to maintain a sense of Godly positivity during difficult times. 

I hope this post will inspire you to be more positive about the life God so graciously gave you. As I write this, I am assuming you are safe, well, and that your family is also enjoying mostly positive circumstances.

My story if one of a person who had to get to a breaking point so she could learn what it means to find and maintain God's peace.

I was 26 years old and loving my busy life. I was happy, I was loved and still, there were issues that multiplied my stress level. Once I got the medical help I needed for my high blood pressure, I decided to dig deep and find the root of my problem. 

Stress is a pest that comes back. You can't completely eliminate it while you are alive. What you can do is learn how to manage it. 

Instead of meticulously examining my outward circumstances, I became very particular about knowing what God thinks. This has been my key approach to fighting and winning my battle with stress and anxiety.

Some say that anxiety is inevitable nowadays. I agree. All you need to do is turn on the news.

I'm a journalist and I know the value of a news story. I also know the weight of pain and anguish that comes when you expose yourself to so much information.

It is as if that buzz in your head won't stop. Your mind wants to react. Your body certainly does by releasing a great amount of stress hormone. Reading the news is valuable, having high blood pressure because of it, not so much.

What did I do?

I learned to become very particular about knowing what God thinks. I learned to spend more time doing that than I spent time reading the news. I decided to limit my news intake so my intake of good news could grow and produce fruit.

Before making this decision, I experienced what Jesus called "the cares of this world" invading my being (see Mark 4:19). The word "cares" is translated as "a distraction, anxieties" of this world. "World" comes from the Greek word aion, which is translated as "present age."

Friend, I would read the Bible but my cares really choked the word of God. What I was reading was unfruitful.

Are there circumstances in our present age distracting you and causing you anxiety? The good news is that we can take our every care to Jesus and He can help us.

Once I discovered my problem, I went to God for the solution. I prayed and I admitted that I was anxious and concerned. I asked Him to help me surrender everything to Him. 

Surrendering came in layers. First, came holy conviction. Second, came a prayer admitting my lack. Third came layers of daily acts of trust. 

These acts of trust include:

• Seeking God first, no questions asked, no excuses given. God came first in my schedule no matter what. I woke up, prayed, and read my Bible. 

• Surrendering my problems to God often. I did this several times a day. I didn't want those cares to choke the word of God. I wanted to surrender so that my heart could continue to be good ground for the Word.

• Limiting my intake of news and digital media. I didn't announce I was leaving social media. I just decreased the amount of time I was consuming it. I found a small number of news outlets I would read and listen to. I measured the time I was doing that. It could not supersede my time in the presence of God through prayer and Bible reading. 

• I took God at His word. If He says He will do something, I believe it. While many become experts in doubting God and His Word, I decided to believe Him with all I am and all I have. I found Him to be faithful. I found those other people to be discouraged, to say the least. 

• I found something productive to do. Here is how this works. In the past, my whole being would be consumed by my stress and anxiety. Once I decided to follow God's plan of peace, I found I had time to do other things. There was time to enjoy the life God gave me. I decided to do productive things such as becoming more creative as a wife and mother. Our menu selection improved. I found time for reading. It's amazing how much time you have when you are not worrying yourself to death.

I am not denying the existence of stress and anxiety. I know too well how real these feelings are. I am denying its place of influence in my life by taking these daily acts of trust in God. 

I wonder if you are being consumed by anxiety and stress. I know for a fact that God has the answer for you. I encourage you to offer daily acts of trust. Surrendering comes in layers but the fruit it bears brings freedom.