This anxiety is freaking me out. You know the kind that manifests itself in all sorts of uncomfortable symptoms. I wake with my jaw clenched and wonder when I will awake one day with only gums left. I realized I was clenching my teeth when I went to whisper to Jesus, “Lord help me through this day.” And then I wondered what about this day, that had not yet occurred, was stressing me out.
I was distracted ruminating over the impact my stress would have on my health. I know it is impacting my relationships. Who wants to be around a high strung, distracted businessperson, with one hand clutching the cross around her neck.
I asked someone what a panic attack felt like and if you could die from it. I don’t remember who it was but they told me that panic attacks were just a symptom of anxiety. “You need to fix the core problem” they said.
What Is The Core Problem Causing Your Anxiety
The core problem. Okay. I can do that. Now we are getting somewhere.
I sat down with pen in hand to write to God the core problem so He could help me. I laughed as I pulled up the ottoman, thinking God must be having a good laugh at me always praying about the symptoms. He will think finally, now she is getting down to business.
I sat there. What is the core problem?
I decided to work backwards and list all of the stress in my life. What I was worried about. The things that caused my heart to race and my chest tighten.
As I reach back into the history, of the human hard drive in my head, all I found in my search was symptoms. I couldn’t remember for the life of me what had started the spiral of anxiety.
I focused so much on the stress, that the stress began stressing me out. The original trigger was so far removed I didn’t even recall what it was.
My Stress Is Stressing Me Out
Basically, my stress was freaking me out.
Really?
How can that be? I had gotten myself so worked up about being anxious that I hyper focused on my symptoms and what effect that would have on my health and my life.
Now I really needed help. How crazy is that?
What Jesus Says About Worry
I pulled up stress in my life application bible and it brought me to my now favorite verses Matthew 6:25-34. I call these the worry verses.
25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Basically I learned that my stress and anxiety were being multiplied by my worry. And worry is not pleasing to Jesus. I got that from the beginning that says do not worry about your life. In a nutshell, Jesus basically says that:
◊ If you worry than you must not trust me to take care of you.
◊ If you worry get ready for a negative and frightening roller coaster ride because today has enough troubles of it’s own, just wait for tomorrow.
◊ Worry/anxiety is a waste of time and won’t add one hour to your life – actually I believe it may take away an hour or two.
◊ I should be seeking His Kingdom first and not waste my time on my worries; He’s got those!
This is a true experience of my past. Of course, now I never, ever do this!
Just kidding, but it is much better. It wasn’t going back to school and getting a degree in community counseling that helped either. It was
Jesus. It was His words, His promises and His faithfulness.
Have you ever started the worry obsession train? You know the one that goes around and around. You become dizzy and no longer even know where you started. Soon the stress and anxiety take on a life of it’s own.
Stop now and take the first step. Bring it to Jesus.
This is something I suffered for years until I accepted Christ 8 years ago. I won’t say that it all went away, but I do know the past three years I have all but eliminated any stress or worry in my life. If anything I will suffer some sadness, sadness knowing that many around me are struggling because they don’t know the hope and future is only in God. I launched a new company two years ago this April. God has taught me to lean in on him, because even in these tumultuous business times my company has prospered, only God could do that!
Mark it is so good to hear that your business is doing well! I have done much better with stress also….well except as it deals with my 3 teenagers all driving! But without Christ I would really drive them crazy. Thanks for your thoughts and keep me posted on your business developing!
“Stress is stressing me out.” Now, that’s brilliant…really! It’s self perpetuating and once we stop and say, “enough”, then we can actually find a way out.
And I agree with Jesus’ simplicity. “Trust me.”
Hi David,
Being a counselor too, I see it all too much! We humans can waste a lot of energy…because we are human. Thank God for Jesus!