Anxiety Issues: What Has God Given Me

2 Peter 3:18 - Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Worry has a story for everything – You could get your dream job, dream family, dream income, dream political leaders and worry will still have a story for you – Anxiety will find you. If you are like me you like to avoid or deny your anxiety with sayings like, “I'm fine.” When in actuality you are not fine and everyone around you knows it.

Avoiding anxiety leads to distractions - distractions are temporary fixes that we use to ease our anxiety.  When our anxiety gets triggered and we are worried and stressed... we LOVE to avoid and the best way is to pretend its just not there.

Ladies- have you ever Stress Shopped – "I can’t feel anxiety if I’m at Target, got my
Starbucks and my perfectly balanced cart that doesn’t have a squeaky wheel." You feel so good that you convince yourself that you are not stressed… for a moment.

Guys – don’t be judging, We shop too, just not at target. Car stuff, tools, “I might need it one day." Your distractions soon become your addictions – I can eat my anxiety away, netflix my anxiety, shut down, or refuse to shut down but temporary relief becomes a strong habit that makes everything worse.

Avoiding anxiety isolates you from what you love – tells you you wont make it, can’t do it, not good enough. Anxiety screams, "You are not OK." Giving up isolates you. So we hide and look in the mirror and question our existence. Avoiding gets you addicted to comfort.

We miss out on so many things that we want, that we pray for all because to get them it will be too uncomfortable. People miss out on friendships because they have to go somewhere new with people. We miss out on deeper relationships because it’s not comfortable to be vulnerable. If you become addicted to comfort, you will never get to the dreams in your heart. 

Avoiding puts impossible pressure on those who love you. When I avoid anxiety I still feel it, I’m not facing it, but I feel it and it does NOT feel good. So now I need YOU to make me feel good. We say things like, “They should” “I can’t believe they did/didn’t”  or “I’m always by myself."

No human can overcome your anxiety – My wife loves me, but she is not made to overcome my anxiety – and when I avoid it, she is left trying to lift something no one was meant to carry. We have to deal with it. 

Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.

Anxiety is biblical, letting anxiety overcome you is not. We need to eliminate the shame we have attached to having anxiety – it’s okay to not be okay. Please remember- Not ALL anxiety is bad – Anxiety can tell us something is up, off, wrong, needs to shift or change. When my stomach is in knots, I now know there is something 'off' that I need to shift, grow, change. The bible tells you that you will have anxiety, but anxiety should never have you – your thoughts, your decisions, your next step. It’s biblical to have anxiety, its also biblical to lay it before God.

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

ALL your anxiety – never be ashamed you have it, and never hold on to it. You have anxiety, that’s a fact.  But Jesus is bigger and that’s the truth.

Remember what you have: I might have anxiety BUT I ALSO have…

1.) I have PURPOSE – don’t let anxiety talk you out of it.
Psalm 138:8 - The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

2. I have JOY beyond my situation.
John 15:11 - These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

3.) I have a SOUND MIND – access it.
2 Timothy 1:7 - For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and sound mind.

Anxiety does not have to be in control – it is there, but because that is not all that is there, it does not need to be in control of your life. Access your sound mind – put your eyes and ears to the words of God – life is in those words. You have purpose, joy and a sound mind.

Hope Point Church exists to point people to the hope of Jesus, one family at a time. Our service times are Sunday at 9AM and 11AM. Hope Kids is available at every service for kids ages 6 weeks through 5th grade. We would love for your family to come worship with us. You can find more information at www.hopepointkc.com.