Did you know that according to the CDC (Center for disease control) heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. and also the leading cause of death worldwide?
It’s no surprise especially when you see that scripture makes mention of it…
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
The Merriam Webster dictionary has this definition for the word ‘deferred’;
“Withheld for or until a stated time, charged in cases of delayed handling.”
Luke 21:26
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Furthermore the Merriam Webster dictionary defines anxiety as;
“Apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill :a state of being.”
Now I’m no expert or medical doctor, but a simple search online reveals that “anxiety disorder” is a common mental health condition. It’s characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. It’s very common in more than 3 million US cases per year!
That is a frightening static considering how more children are being affected by feelings of anxiety than ever before!
A common theme is the fear over what “might” happen tomorrow, which results in us becoming anxious today.
Philippians 4 :6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Yes, it sounds easier said than done! I know because I struggled with understanding what it meant for me, to overcome the debilitating sense of fear and anxiousness I felt over a situation I had lost control over.
Firstly, let’s be honest. None of us can know or control the future right? So why is it are we stressing over something that MAY happen wasting our energies on what we have today?
I found the quickest way out of anxiety is thankfulness or gratitude. Yes it sounds cliche but hear me out.
What you focus on grows, and if you’re focusing on your fears and your feelings of anxiety, they will only grow. So stop feeding it!
If you’re constantly mulling over thoughts of “what if, maybe when” and playing out this dramatic scene from an epic movie of the world around you coming to an end, you’re going to work yourself up into a tizzy and you will feel physical manifestations.
In my own experience the quickest way I found relief from my torture chamber of negative spiraling thoughts was:
– Being grateful to God, counting my blessings and looking for the good in my everyday situation.
– Arrested the negative thought train that wanted me to hop aboard, I just refused to buy a ticket the minute it propositioned me.
– Doing something good for someone else. This focused my attention on taking myself off my mind, and I found that my helping others I could feel good about myself again.
Philippians 4 :6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This scripture says our hearts and minds will be guarded once we have the peace of God. All we have to do is ask our good God and is he gracious enough to give good things to his children.
Hope you found this encouraging?
Add your comments below I’d love to hear your thoughts, what are you going to try today to help halt the negativity?
