I don't believe many would argue that it is difficult for us to face the world today without some form of anxiety. We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, put millions of individuals out of work, closed our schools, forced us into our homes, and threatens to destroy our economy.
If the pandemic itself wasn't enough to deal with, the civil unrest that is sweeping our nation brings us breaking news of gun violence, murder, and hate crimes.
Most days, it seems that more bad news is reported than good. Sadly, it's become commonplace for us to see images of people in crisis. Our society has been desensitized by visuals of mass shootings, large scale terror attacks, bombings and riots. On any given day, our media devices can be overrun with images of human suffering so raw with emotion that we can feel it ourselves.
If we think for a second that we can get a break from the horror of the state we’re in by switching to the weather report, we’re sorely mistaken. No respite from the chaos there. News of unexpected storms, tornados, wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes - all claiming the lives of innocent, helpless people no different from you or me. Families left with nothing but ruins where their homes once stood. The complete devastation worn on the faces of these victims leaves us feeling vulnerable and unprotected.
We can shake our fists at God and ask Him “Why?" Why is this happening? Why is there such heartache everywhere we turn?” Such evil? Such uncertainty?
No one would blame us for the discouragement, doubt and disbelief we are feeling. But if we stay there, we will find ourselves wallowing in the pit of our anxiety, asking questions we will never find the answers to. We have to instead ask Him, What would you have me do, Oh God, in this time of great suffering? How will you use me as a light in this world of darkness?
I believe that once we change the questions we're asking, we will actually discover that the answers have already been given to us; they lie in a rather popular instruction manual compiled over the past two millennia. The beautiful Book of Books - the one and only Holy Bible - holds the keys to unlocking the answers to all that we seek. It is the blueprint for living a life of Faith, the roadmap to a world of Peace that can (and does) exist within a place of utter chaos. It can give us the strength we need to change our perspective, change our thoughts, and completely renew our minds.
The devil would like nothing better than to distract us and take our focus off of the truth of God’s word. He is the Father of Lies, and seeks to wreak havoc in our lives, starting with our minds.
This is why it is so important, perhaps now more than ever, for us to fill our minds with the word of God.
A good place to start is Psalm 46:10 ~ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
I frequently roll the words "Be still" over and over on my tongue, trying with all of my might to do just that. Quiet my mind and calm my heart. Praying that God might look down on me and just take the anxiety away.
I've just about convinced myself that God could not be bothered with this request to calm my fears. That it's up to me to suck it up, put on my big girl pants and figure it out. To be aware of my triggers and monitor my responses. To become hyper-aware of my senses and defense mechanisms. To train myself to be still.
My friend, these are all lies and there is nothing further from the truth. God cares about every minute detail of our lives - even the hairs on our heads are numbered! (see Luke 12:7). He longs for each and every one of us to live in fellowship with Him, so that we can be filled with His peace instead of anxiety. Through His word, He will instruct us, comfort us, and fill us with all knowledge, so that we may be well equipped for anything that lies ahead.
Conditioning the human mind can be a difficult task. But there is no task too difficult for our awesome Lord. If we just take the time to truly examine our hearts, reflect, and seek His presence, He will surely replace any and all negative thoughts with His ever-living, ever-positive, ever-hopeful Word of Truth.
Let's take the time to be still and know Him.
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