ANXIETY
The word is all too familiar isn't it? I was reminded of this in recent conversations with friends old and new. I see it on faces in conversations, through tears streaming down cheeks. We all have fallen victim at some point. Some of us our plagued by its grip daily if not hourly. A million"What if's" flood our brain.
What exactly is anxiety anyways? Anx-i-e-ty (noun) a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
So its a feeling about something that may or may not occur. A feeling based on an outcome we have created in our minds.
I have been reading and studying a great deal lately on the power of thought. It is a gift God has given humans exclusively that we can envision what the future might look like. We can plan and actually mentally place ourselves in the future by thought. And the beautiful, freeing part is that we have the ability to choose and control our thoughts.
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Could it really be that we have authority over this "ANXIETY" that we seem powerless against?
It is all in our ability to control our thoughts. More specifically our ability to replace on thought with another. Displacement if you will. If you consider that thoughts are things it will make this process more tangible.
We are given the "recipe" for this displacement in Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God , which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
A commandment to not be anxious followed by the how. Carefully look at what comes after the word but.... the recipe for change The directions on how to shift your mindset. Prayer and petition with thanksgiving!
So next time you are gripped with Anxiety, grab the thought, and replace it with a request. Whatever vision you are projecting into the future. Give it over to God. Ask him for the future you desire, even better ask Him for the vision He desires!
And then enjoy the promise of His PEACE .....
