Anxiety is a monster.
For me, it starts with dreaming of magnificent futures that I see for myself and my family. These hallucinations feel real, and I credit myself with having conjured them.
Success early has led me to think I’m capable of anything. Not just capable, but one of the few capable. Sometimes one of the few deserving.
Toxic.
As quickly as these plans arrive and solidify in my mind, they disappear. Set aside to the next hallucination.
Again, and again. And then often they come back! Years later l am revisiting decisions or plans I made years ago That I set aside knowing the path is not right.
It is tormenting!
The Bible tells us the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until all the doubt of God‘s plan for their tribe had passed. It wasn’t until then that they could enter their promised land.
This was supposed to be a three week journey, but they looped and looped and looped.
40 years!
Can you imagine their torment?
This was the function of chasing their own dreams and plans, failing to trust in God‘s plan. The anxiety.
So this has what’s worked for me lately to manage my anxiety and get out of the looping.
Daily, I start with submission to the uncompromising magnitude of God‘s plan for my life. I don’t know how He’ll use me, I don’t beg him to use me for something magnificent or grand. I trust He has it.
Then I asked for guidance on the most important decisions to be made, steps to take, or work to do I try to listen to his voice and test what I’m hearing against his word.
Then I do the thing, hoping that the thing is what he wanted me to do. And don’t look back
Not looking back is one of the hardest steps of this for me.
But finally, I feel some peace. The anxiety is slowly washing away.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s promise that prevails.“ Proverbs 19:21.
#introductions
