It’s been a while since I published a blog, and looking back on it, the break was just what I needed. You know the feeling when you just need to step back and review life, stop and take a break and just appreciate a day for what it is, rather than to delve into the microdetails and just worry about this or that? It isn’t something that comes naturally to me. Usually (this is just me speaking out of experience), I tend to be a natural worrier. Looking back at my familial history and how it has been a trend for anxiety to creep into normal life, I understand that as I start to worry, I know that even if it is ‘hereditary’, it doesn’t have to be.
It may be a lot of things why society worries. Acceptance, approval, lack of sleep or exercise; whatever the case may be, as we worry about our lives, we become susceptible to what the devil tries to say about us- we’re no good if we do this or that, your parents will only accept you if you perform to the best of your ability, and on and on the lies keep coming. We are bombarded with the media and those around us that give us what they want us to hear about how we ought to live our lives and what is expected of us. If we don’t truly know or understand our own identity as sons and daughters of God, we will be swayed by popular opinion when we are shown that our lives are only enhanced if we perform. But this is not what Jesus says about the situation. What we are anxious about all stems back to an issue we all have with the identity that we have been given, compared to what God sees about us. God has shown us time and time again through His Word that worrying and anxiousness doesn’t come from Him. We are met with comfort and assurances that when we do feel worried, all we have to do is call on Jesus, understanding that our identity isn’t based upon what popular opinion says, or the media, or even parents. God has not given us a fearful spirit, but one of power, strength and good discipline (paraphrased from 2 Timothy 1:7). As we immerse ourselves in the knowledge that Christ within us is more powerful than the anxiousness and worrying we submerse ourselves in everyday, we can rise with full confidence that God will deliver us out of the situations that continuously hold us back.
Recently I’ve been planning for the future ahead (6 months-1 year), and it is very scary indeed. Going out into the big world where performance matters, as well as how you look, how you act and how you talk; I have come to realise that it may be even harder than I even initially assumed. Applying for jobs, wondering where you really want to head, analysing strengths, weaknesses; even trying to find the things that are both hidden to myself and the people around me, so that God can shape me to become the child of God He has made me to become; worries me a little. Because once you submit Yourself to the Lord and ask Him to do whatever He will do make me a better person (in a spiritual sense); God will hold you to it, even show you some things that may cause you discomfort, so that you can understand the issues in your life that you need to work through so that you can grow and become the godly men and women the Lord has wired us to be from the beginning of time.
Worrying isn’t from God, nor is anxiousness. As we feel these emotions when we become apprehensive to big changes (like planning ahead for the future, seeking out what we really want our lives to reflect in 10 or 20 years!); these are just judgemental condemnations the devil wants to whisper into our ears as we start to question even if the task we need to undertake will make a great impact in our lives. For every circumstance and event that happens isn’t necessarily caused by God (no bad thing ever is!) but events are all used by Him for our good as we carve out our paths to walk side by side to where Christ points us to go. As we carry on with this life, and ask ‘why did this happen’, maybe we need to stop and really ask the question, ‘am I really trusting God in this area of my life?’ Because anxious and worry is a lack of trust in the plans God has for us. For all you know, sometimes when things don’t go how we plan it to, it may be because God has something better in store for us. Yes, the devil may cause you to do some things that will shut a door that you so badly want to walk through, but there is nothing that is impossible for Christ, and if He has shaped you to become a baker, He will present people in your path to lead you to that. If He has wired to be a mechanical engineer, no matter how many obstacles you need to jump through, your skills will be utilised as you move on your journey to be one. The talent that God has given to you will certainly be used for His glory as you press in and understand the passion placed in your heart.
As I finish this blog, let me ask you a few questions. Have you ever been in a position of anxiousness or worry as you question your future and your role in it? What has the Bible said about your identity and where you are placed in the never-ending story of God? Are there any growth opportunities you need to journey through that will be certain to stretch you physically and emotionally? What have you learnt about trust in God, and how has it been applied in your life so far? There is a song recently; that has widened my understanding about what happens and whether God really has my best interests at heart. John Waller’s ‘Because God is Good’ speaks about how when life doesn’t go to script, when things just pop out of left field, and how we respond. Listen to the song, and see the revelation that I obtained, that ‘…when life doesn’t go the way I thought it should, sometimes it’s because God is good…’
Til next blog, reflect on how to decrease anxiousness and worry in your everyday life!
Jon.
