Day 1 – Healed! Now I Share
A few years ago I had a lengthy battle with anxiety, but I was able to overcome it due to a few scriptures I read. You may be thinking that my anxiety wasn’t severe, but let me assure you, it was. I was medicated for it and was seeing a psychologist. Those things helped me with the issues, but it wasn’t a cure. Scripture was the cure. I figured if I could capture that healing process in my life and share it, then maybe it would help someone else with their anxiety.
Day 2 – Turn on, Tune in, and Drop Out
Back in the ’60s there was a counter-culture term, “Turn on, Tune in, and Drop Out,” which basically meant to become self-aware, aware of the world around you, and use LSD to accomplish this if needed. I want to repurpose this term and align it with the Turning on the Word, Tuning in to what it says, and Dropping out of this world of lies and is upside down. Living in a World of Truth, which is how God designed it, is where you need to be When you do this, it is a total commitment you need to immerse yourself in all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and good report. (Philippians 4:8.) I cannot express enough how important it is to abandon all secular music, movies, TV, and maybe even friends, and surround yourself completely with the Word and people who love the Word until you at least have overcome your anxiety.
Day 3 – Be Wise, Get Help
Seeing a psychologist is wise because they are people who are trained to deal with anxiety, shame, regrets, fears, abuse, and anger, to name a few. Maybe what is even more valuable is, it is their job to listen. It is a beautiful relationship. You get to open up and dump out all your concerns without reservation. You do not have to be concerned with overburdening your friends. It is the psychologist’s job to deal with your baggage, and whatever you say is confidential and will never leave the office!
Day 4 – Don’t Go At This Alone
One important thing NOT to do is go at this alone. There are a lot of reasons we do not want to tell anyone what is going on, such as pride, embarrassment, not wanting to burden others, or maybe a lack of trust in anyone. Whatever the reason, you need to disregard them and reach out to someone. If you have anxiety, you need help and prayer.
Day 5 – The Joy in Suffering
In Romans 5:3-4 Paul wrote, (NLT) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. This passage is a roadmap to maturity, both spiritual and mentally. The truth about suffering, be it anxiety, bills that can’t get paid, a job that is in jeopardy; these verses are the formula for preparing us for the Blessed Hope – our Salvation. We need to change our outlook on the trial we face and see it for what it really is – a training ground for improving who we are.
Day 6 – Stand Firm, It’s Not Your Battle
2 Chronicles 20 is the story of God saving Israel from certain annihilation from three armies that came to destroy them. The king of Judah summoned all the men, women and children to the temple to pray. In prayer, they first recognized who God is, what great things he has done, and then they brought their petition to Him, which was deliverance from their enemies.
Day 7 – It’s Not Your Battle, Because It’s Not Your Purpose
When I was seeking answers to the question, “Why would God fight our battles?”, I was reminded of a sermon I had written on Samson several years earlier, and that is when everything became clear. In a single moment I was freed from anxiety, fully and completely.