When you feel anxious and afraid, here are two things that can help: 1) Find a ‘faith friend’. When anxiety grabs your mind, one of the most powerful ways to break the worry spiral is to talk to a ‘faith friend’. When Israel went out to occupy the promised land, here’s what God said to them: ‘Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too’ (Deuteronomy 20:8 NIV). Pessimism, fright, and discouragement are contagious. And so is courage! 2) Take action and face your fear. Sermons about how God will take care of you aren’t enough to remove anxiety from your life by themselves. You also need to do certain things, like stepping out in faith and trusting God. The way to get His peace from your head to the rest of your body is to trust Him, to the point where you’re able to face your fears head-on. So, with that in mind, a) meditate on passages like Psalm 23; imagine yourself being shepherded by the Lord through green pastures and led beside still waters, b) talk to your ‘faith friend’ before worry gets a foothold in your mind, c) use a ‘breath prayer’ such as, ‘God, I’m casting all my cares on You,’ d) exercise; physical exercise is a great way to stop excess adrenaline from building up and finding the wrong outlet, e) identify your fear and take even one small step towards confronting it, and f) get enough rest. David said, ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety’ (Psalm 4:8 NIV). Today, give your worries to God!
