Anxious For Nothing

Holiday Stressors

By Diane Nix

November first has arrived and gone, and we stand on the brink of one of the busiest times of ministry life. We made it through the angst of Halloween, and now while there are fun parties and gatherings, there are still funerals, hospital visits, counseling sessions, special projects, and business meetings. If you are not an empty nester, your children’s activities will fill your plate and keep you running through this “most happiest time of the year!”

If you haven’t dealt with anxiety before now, it is a high probability that you might encounter a bit of it sometime during the holidays. If you are prone to anxiety, then hang on, sister! It’s coming for you. As you read this, I know some of you already feel it. Stop. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly and focus on what you are reading. (Do this as many times as it takes.) Trust the Prince of Peace to bring peace to your spirit, soul, and body.

The Word of God says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

These verses come between Paul writing to the Philippi church, encouraging them to know Christ deeply, to count the cost for knowing Him, and then to press on, forgetting what lies behind and press on! He addresses two women in the church, Euodia, and Syntyche, to get it together and stop whatever they were doing. And then, he moves to the first step of curing anxiety. Look with me.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:4

What does it mean to rejoice? In our current culture, you will not hear the word “rejoice” as a greeting or even used in a sentence. People would think you are odd, strange, weird. But this command is repeated and active in the present tense. This present tense command means you are to show joy regularly, even if the circumstances stink, because the Lord has not left you. He hasn’t abandoned you even if it seems He is silent, and He will answer you and deliver you in His time, even if it is hard. 

Sometimes, the beginning of laying down our anxiety is to simply “put our praise on!” By refocusing our focus not on the issues surrounding us but putting our eyes on the ONE who will bring peace. There are times I just put the praise music on. I play old hymns. I put on a raucous worship song, and I dance like no one is watching, or I’ll put on music that I air dance with my Abba – waltzing across the floor with the One who knows my heart better than I do. Finally, sometimes I sit in His presence and choose the joy of knowing He will rescue me. He sees. He knows the beginning from the end, and I can breathe in and out, symbolically releasing the anxiety and breathing in His presence. (I Peter 5:7) Sitting with my palms turned upward. I practice being still and receiving only what He can give – TRUE PEACE. 

Next week, I’ll list some causes of our anxiety and then some practical steps to take as we release the anxiety to the Lord.

Keep reading for a downloadable Ebook of Scriptures for Rejoicing Scriptures.