Overcoming Anxiety

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Renewing of the Mind 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”—Romans 12:2 (ESV) 

I don’t know about you, but feeling anxious stinks. It’s a difficult emotion to let go of once it has it’s grasp on you. This is how it works: Something challenging occurs in your life and, all of a sudden, anxious thoughts invade your mind. They can produce increased heart palpitations, trouble thinking clearly, a sense of feeling overwhelmed, or, in some cases, the stress and anxiety are so great, you experience a panic attack. 

At the core of anxiety is fear, mostly fear of losing control in an area of our lives whether through circumstances or through choices by people we love and care about. 

My grandmother is in her 90s, and she battles with anxiety daily. She’s anxious about getting older and something happening to her. She lives alone, and the fear of being alone and her getting hurt is a real fear. However, every day she allows the repetitive negative thoughts of no one being there to help her keeps her mind in bondage. She believes in God and in prayer, but still this nagging anxiety doesn’t go away. She worries about her children who have kidney issues and if they’re going to be ok. There are so many things in our lives we don’t have control of the outcomes. These are the times when knowing the character of God is essential. 

In today’s verse, Paul tells us to no longer think or allow ourselves to be weighed down by the cares of this world. Those who don’t know God or trust in His character will be weighed down with anxiety, wanting to control what is out of their control. Paul tells us the remedy from this anxiety and fear is to renew our minds on God’s Word. His Word reminds us of our roles on this earth, what we’re responsible for caring for, and what we must entrust to God, believing He will handle it. 

To be able to renew our minds, we must implement a plan. In all battles, great men and women must put together a strategic plan to win the battle. Let’s strategize winning the battle against our anxious and negative thoughts! 

We must have a time of Bible study every day. There are several Bible plans available that can take you through the Bible in a year, two years, or even five years. The first step is to know His character—and this can only happen by reading the whole Bible, beginning with Genesis. 

A weapon that is strategic in winning this battle is memorizing Scripture. If there’s a specific area in your life where you battle anxious thoughts, then find corresponding Scriptures you can write out and eventually memorize. I know some people give up on using this weapon because they feel it’s too difficult. Don’t give up! If Jesus had to use the Word of God to battle the adversary when he tried to attack His mindset, don’t you think you will need this weapon also? 

A great place to start learning who God is and getting to know His character is by doing a Google search or looking in the back of your study Bible for God’s attributes or character qualities. The question comes down to this: How well do you know the character of Yahweh? Yahweh is the name God gave to Moses to share with the Israelites who were in bondage and enslaved in Egypt. They had many circumstances that were out of their control. In Hebrew, Yahweh means, “He causes things to be” (a.k.a. He is whatever you need Him to be at that moment). 

When we read the Bible, it reveals the character of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It’s only when we know someone’s character that we’ll be able to trust what they’ve said about themselves. It’s the same with our relationship with God. Once we get to know Him we can trust in Him, and we can have peace in knowing His will which Paul reminds us is good, acceptable, and perfect. 

Pause: Read Exodus and Philippians during your devotion time. Take as long as you need, but write down the characteristics and attributes of God. What are some of His characteristics or attributes that could help you trust Him in your situation? 

Practice: Put into practice a plan to renew your mind. Here are just a few suggestions that could be helpful: 

• Bible Study 
• Meditating on Scripture 
• Memorizing Scripture 
• Scripture Writing 
• Studying the Attributes of God 

Pray: Lord, thank You for giving me the Bible to learn Your character. Thank You that You are knowable and trustworthy. Help me to read and understand Your Word and allow me to know You personally. Amen.

Scripture: Psalms 9:1

Got Gratitude 

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”—Psalm 9:1 (ESV) 

Did you know research reveals benefits for those who practice being grateful? In the Bible, we’re encouraged to cultivate gratitude, which means raising up or even growing a spirit of gratitude. In the New Testament, Paul sets an example of cultivating a thankful and grateful heart. 

If there was anyone who endured so much hardship, disappointments, and uncertainty, it was the apostle Paul. However, throughout his letters to the believers at the time, we see him giving thanks and being grateful—even for those who proclaimed the gospel out of selfish ambition, truly wishing to cause him distress while he was in prison (Philippians 1:15–20). Yet, he was still grateful because the gospel was being spread. 

In Philippians 1–2, we see Paul thanking people for giving him the opportunity to share the gospel in prison. Even though he had to endure such hardship, he was grateful because others could hear the gospel. 

So, what are some of the benefits for those who practice gratitude? One benefit of being grateful is that it opens a person up to more relationships. Just saying “thank you” to someone creates a positive encounter where others want to be around you. Another benefit is it improves our physical and mental health and helps us sleep better. 

I don’t know about you, but finding something daily to be grateful for is definitely worth the benefits. When we allow anxiety and stress to rule our minds and hearts, it can cause health issues such as debilitating anxiety, heart disease, and even some cancers. 

Doing something so simple as saying “thank you” is like a tune-up for our inner being. It causes an increase of dopamine in our brains which causes us to feel happy—and our brains will want to continue feeling happy as we practice more gratitude! 

Maybe right now, you’re asking, “What could I possibly be thankful for?” I’m glad you asked. There are several things you can be grateful for right now. First, God allowed you to have breath in your lungs today, so He could use you to bring hope to someone else. Another thing you can be grateful for is that the Lord is with you wherever you go, even to the depths of the sea or up to the top of the highest mountain. He is there, and there’s no one else in the world who can express and demonstrate love to you like Jesus! 

We must thank God for all areas in our lives, even the difficult ones. Let’s be thankful for our spouses, children, friends, parents, and grandparents. For me, I’m grateful for my 91-year-old grandmother, who calls me once a week to pray with her. This is a blessing I know I won’t always have, but today I’m grateful for it. 

Pause: Begin each day by acknowledging one thing you’re grateful for. Before you even get out of bed, thank God for that person, thing, or circumstance. Also, before you go to bed at night, share two things you were thankful for that day with someone or God. 

Practice: Below are a few ways you can begin to create a grateful spirit. Choose one and implement it into your daily routine. After practicing this daily, in just a few weeks, you’ll begin to see how helpful it can be in letting go of anxious and fearful thoughts. You’ll begin to experience joy and peace just like Paul did. Even when his circumstances didn’t change, he changed his mind, renewing his mind. 

1. Journal your gratitude. This is a great way to write down what you’re grateful for if you like journaling. When you start to feel anxiety rise up, read over your journal, and you’ll see your anxiety begin to melt away. Changing your mind changes your thoughts and your attitude. 
2. Tell others about your blessings. If you’re like some people, the idea of writing something down leaves you more anxious. So, instead, share it with someone. It’s incredible how powerful words can be. Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Speaking life-giving words brings life into your inner man. So, speak out loud, even for yourself to hear, since we listen more to what we say to ourselves than anyone else. 
3. Pray for a grateful heart. If you can’t muster out something you’re grateful for, don’t worry. God wants to perfect everything pertaining to us, including perfecting our hearts to be thankful. Pray, or have a friend or an elder from the church pray for you to have a grateful heart. 

Pray: Heavenly Father, I know I have so much to be grateful for, but right now, my mind is clouded by disappointment, fear, stress, and worry. These feelings keep me from seeing the benefits I have as your child. Please help me cultivate a heart of thanksgiving and be grateful for the opportunity to talk to You about these fears and stresses in my life. Sometimes, I feel so alone and forget You are with me. Today, I want to thank You for never leaving me or abandoning me. I want to love You back and show my love by being thankful for the plan and purposes for my life. Amen.

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

Practice These Things 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”—Philippians 4:4–9 (ESV) 

In Paul’s letter written to the Philippians, Paul sets an example of how changing our mindset can create hope to overcome the battle before us. Paul was in prison when he was writing to the believers in Philippi. 

I’m sure Paul had grand plans of evangelizing all over the known world at that time and seeing many people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, God had other plans for Paul. You may have had grand plans for your life, but then 2020 happened, and now you find yourself stuck or overwhelmed by the circumstances around you. Perhaps you’re not sure what tomorrow will bring, but glued to the news every day to see what’s going on that will cause more fear or stress. If this is you, this is just like what happened to Paul as he was sitting in that jail cell! The only way out is for a change of mindset to happen! How did Paul overcome his anxiety, fear, and stress? We can find the answer in Philippians chapter 2 when Paul decided to put on the same mindset and attitude as Jesus, and in Philippians chapter 4, he lays out the plan to do just that. 

Today’s verse gives us a way to back joy and peace in stressful and anxious times. As I went through a season of anxiety in my own life, God showed me these verses and taught me how to restore my joy and peace in the midst of chaos, even when the circumstances hadn’t changed. However, let’s pick it up from verse 9. Here Paul basically says these things you’ve learned, heard, received, and seen in me, practice these things. 

What things is Paul talking about? In verse 8, Paul shares we are to have a renewed mindset. Instead of thinking like the world, he says think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, or on anything worthy of praise. That’s not all Paul tells us to practice. He also shares that when we allow Jesus Christ, who is the Word made flesh, to guard our hearts and minds, we will experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. Have you ever known someone experiencing circumstances and issues that were crumbling all around them, yet they were filled with peace? How can they do that? Because they were able to filter everything through God’s Word. They trusted that even though life would still have its battles, they had the assurance the Lord was battling on their behalf and would keep them throughout their suffering and difficulties. They had a heavenly perspective! 

Paul teaches us to practice what we allow ourselves to think about. Then, through His Word, we can allow Jesus to guard what is in our hearts and minds. Then, we can confidently go to the throne of God, not in anxiousness, but in prayer and supplication, humbly before God. We can let Him know our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs. In a gentle, not aggressive attitude, we can come to our heavenly Father rejoicing because we know who He is and that His will for us is good, perfect, and pleasing. 

Pause: Read through Philippians, and look for the way Paul’s mindset changes to the mind of Christ. (Hint: Look carefully in Chapter 2.) 

Practice: In Philippians 4:8, Paul tells us the best way to change our thoughts. He says to renew what we think. Here are some questions to help you when your thoughts begin to drift, creating anxiety, fear, and worry: 

1. Whatever is true. Is this thought true? Is what you’re worried about factual or imagined? Is what this person said of you or your identity true according to God’s Word? 
2. Whatever is honorable. Is this thought meaningful, and does it matter? Are you anxious over pettiness? Are your thoughts uplifting and valuable toward others and yourself? 
3. Whatever is right. Are you meditating on God’s attributes and character? Do you consider Him your standard of what is right or wrong? Are your thoughts a result of a pursuit of righteousness, or are you trying to model your behavior by society and, as a result, feel anxious, weary, and confused? Is this standard you’ve created for yourself a holy one or one set by today’s culture? 
4. Whatever is pure. Are your thoughts, creativity, and imagination free of sin? Are you filling your mind with movies, shows, books, or music that are sexual or impure? What are you allowing your eyes and ears to take in? 
5. Whatever is lovely or worthy of praise. Are you consuming and pursuing things of beauty? Are you finding ways to take in God’s creation around you? Are your thoughts worthy of being written down or shared with others around you? 

Write the answers to these questions to see where these anxious thoughts are getting through your armor. 

Pray: Father, I praise You for You have given me your truth to combat thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that bring fear, chaos, and weariness. I’m glad I can come to You and be reminded that I can have peace even in times of uncertainty and life’s challenges by remembering Your character, who You are. Thank You for Your Word, which is truth, so I can renew my mind and change my negative and fearful mindset to the mind of Christ. Amen.