Kristi Woods

Encouraging Women to Walk Deeper with God

Are You Anxious for Nothing?

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Are you anxious for nothing–or maybe a little something? Or, a big something? Here’s my story–one of a few–about a battle with anxious thoughts.

Be Anxious for Nothing

The index card’s backside was barely visible. The back reflected enough of the white, however, to create a three dimensional effect on the mammoth-sized mirror. The card appeared to be popping off the glass in springboard fashion, almost as if it was floating in air.

That crazy tape. It always does that.

I was too cheap, maybe thrifty, to buy double-sided tape. Single-sided tape, hand-rolled in backwards fashion, had to do. My hand smoothed across the card, pushing extra at each of the four the edges. Just to be sure.

There. That’s good enough. 

My eyes caught the hand-written words quietly sitting on the light, blue lines. They awaited a reader. They awaited me.

Be anxious for nothing…

What the Bible Says about Anxiety

I let out a sigh. My eyes scanned the next line, index finger following each word.

…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

I whispered the words to myself.

I’m not going to handle this one like the others. 

There were only a few sunrises left. Moves were never easy. Ours was within reach. But I was determined not to handle this one as the string of moves before. 

A ball of nerves and anxiety for the unknown both took part in day-to-day life during our conglomerate of military moves. Inevitably I’d lose my temper right along with the control the moves so hastily devoured. If ever I would dip into a down period, almost a depression, it was bound to happen during a move. I hated it.

Losing control was never easy.

After all, it was really about control.

The 3×5 card was my grip on sanity, a release for an anxious heart. It was a lifeline to God. My eyes devoured every curve and straight line on that card until I knew it well. The Scripture was written on my heart.

I needed His truth to see me through. Many of us do.

In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition 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 thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:6-7 WEB

We may have moves or other changes in life that come and go. Those changes have potential to uproot control, to stir our anxious heart.

But as we choose peace over anxiety, as we take our change, our troubles, our life to God in prayer, something changes. The heaviness lifts. Peace settles in like a welcomed overnight guest. We place our trust in God, not anxiety. It’s somewhat like reaching up and grabbing our Daddy’s hand, allowing Him to lead us down the path.

It might take diligence, consistency too. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but that’s okay. I had much anxiety to offer Him. Many were even repeats. He heard my pleas many times a day. He’ll hear yours too. He loves you.

Whenever thoughts go wild, when anxiety starts to stampede, try saying out loud, “Nope. I’m not going there.” Head to your “mirror”, with that Scripture card intact, and repeat Philippians 4:6-7. Offer those thoughts in prayer, in supplication, in thanksgiving.

And watch the peace of God guard you well. He’s faithful.

Be determined to be anxious for nothing, my friend. Our Daddy has you.

Come On Over…

…to #Lordtodayprayers on Facebook. We’re praying together most weekdays. You’re invited.

Need a speaker? I love to encourage folks in their walk with Jesus. You can find more about my speaking and get a little sneak peek here.

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You’re invited! Linking hands in the blogosphere to lift up the name of Jesus with these beautiful gals: Intentionally Pursuing, Purposeful Faith, Testimony Tuesday, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Holley Gerth, Suzie Eller, Tracie Miles ( #stressless), Dance with Jesus, and Counting My Blessings. 

With Thanksgiving…

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We’ve turned a corner and are heading into the month of traditional thanks here in the United States. Thanks even popped up on many Facebook posts today. Nice indeed!

 

Being thankful is a vital part of our walk with the Lord. It’s that “remembering to remember” thing we talked about several weeks ago. Do you recall?

 

Since you have such great memories, I’m sure you’ll recollect our chat in a previous post on Phil. 4:6. 🙂 You know the one….being anxious for nothing. It’s a neat little scripture that I’ve written on a card and taped to our bathroom mirror.  Not only does this scripture talk about not being anxious through prayer and petition, but it also mentions to submit our requests to God “with thanksgiving.” That’s where the faithfulness of God recently shone brighter than the noonday sun.

 

In the midst of our rental contract “opportunity,” the one I mentioned in a recent post  in which the battle with anxiety was fierce but God won, that little ditty about offering thanksgiving came to life on the mirror one day. I found myself staring at it, pondering the opportunity, then realizing I simply needed to get real with God. (I’m dancing a little jig in my mind right now because that was a pivotal moment, the second “getting real” surfaced, God was able to work and be magnified in the situation. It meant I was trusting Him in the face of anxiety, a huge step!)

 

Oh, I could have come up with a sort of vanilla list of thanksgiving, some items might have even have contained a hint of color. Certainly reciting such a list would have allowed me to check thanksgiving off the list, as if I were prepping my collar, clearing my throat, and arching my back in pride. However, spiritual wars are not won that way, not with our own vanilla lists.

 

They are won with God’s power.

 

What occurred in that moment of “getting real” was a cry to God, a cry asking Him to show me what to be thankful for. Being thankful seemed so distant in my fleshly weakness. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a single thing to be thankful for in that situation. However, He called me to be thankful in Phil. 4:6, I’d learned it by heart and it was now staring me in the face. God wanted me to trust Him at His Word. His desire was that I fight with thankfulness. Was I going to trust Him? Since I didn’t know what to be thankful for, the only way seemed to be to ask the Lord to show me what to be thankful for. That was my prayer, “Lord, show me what I should be thankful for in this situation, and I’ll offer it to you.”

 

Like flying colors, He answered that prayer. What an awesome God we serve! When I asked, He answered. (Surprise!) Within one or two days He had given me a list, a bonafide list of thanksgiving, one bursting with color. Line after line of thankfulness covered my prayers in that battle with anxiety.

 

With God all things are possible, and truly, through thanksgiving, that was the case.

 

That particular battle with anxiety is won, and our family, in just a couple of days, will be heading north. We’ll be moving back to North Carolina, to live in our house once again. I am thankful!

 

On that note, life will be a bit busy in the upcoming days and weeks. I love meeting with you here at the Branch, however, one-on-one time with the Lord and my family is paramount right now, so I’ll kindly ask you to “bear” with me as my family and I transition. We have miles and miles, fourteen hours worth, to cover in our van, new carpet to enjoy, paint to plan for, fields to romp in, God friends to catch up with, and furniture to move into place once again after it has spent nearly eight months in storage.  Yes indeed, I am thankful.

 

Press in, be encouraged, romp in “real”, and turn over every stone of thankfulness. It’s a mighty weapon, and our Lord is truly worthy.