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There have been seasons of my life, especially with my adult children, when I have awakened in the night with a knot in the pit of my stomach. Something is going on in their lives that causes this mama’s heart to fear. But there is absolutely nothing I can do to fix their situation. And so, I turn to God. I release my anxiety to Him because faith and anxiety can’t cohabit in my heart.
I want to insert a caveat here that if your anxiety is debilitating and not just from worry, you may need to seek professional help. There’s no shame in that. Medication can help and may be appropriate for a season. That said, here are some thoughts about the battle between faith and anxiety.
Combat Anxiety with Praise
Jesus had a lot to say about anxiety and worry. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” And then in verse 31 He says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
It’s verse 27 that I quote to myself often when I’m lying in bed letting my anxiety grow. And then I’ll say, “It’s not mine to carry.” There’s a song I love by JJ Heller titled “You Already Know.” The chorus says, “But you already know. You already know. Everything I’m scared of. Everything I hope. You hold my tomorrow. And all tomorrow holds. You already know.”
I let that song play on repeat in my head. Faith and anxiety vie for space in my heart, but if I push out anxiety with praise for the God who knows my tomorrows and all tomorrow holds, I can sleep in peace.
Don’t Let Worry Win
I have a friend whose son almost died from a heroin overdose. As you can imagine, faith and anxiety battled daily in her life. What if it happens again? What if he never gives up this addiction? What if he dies?
And then one day in the hospital elevator, she made the decision: replace what-ifs with even-ifs. Even if it happens again, even if he never gives up his addiction, even if he dies, God remains good. He never changes. Circumstances don’t sway Him.
An often-quoted verse, Philippians 4:6-7, says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Even if you have to say, “I trust you, God,” 100 times a night, say it. Don’t let worry win. God is good. All the time.
Listen to a short segment of this Abide sleep story I wrote based on the next verse in Philippians 4. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Let your mind dwell on the good things, not on your worries.
Between Faith and Anxiety, Choose Faith
Do you believe faith is a choice? I don’t think it’s as simple as saying “either you believe or you don’t.” Consider the man who came to Jesus to heal his son. He had said to Jesus, “If you can . . .” and this is how the rest of the conversation went, “’What do you mean, ‘If I can?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.’ The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!’”
Like I mentioned before, we can’t always just will anxiety away. If medical intervention is needed, get it. But for fear and worry that come because we can’t see the future, don’t be afraid to ask God to grow your faith. I’ve had almost a decade of worrying about decisions my oldest adult child makes. But I’ve stopped letting them keep me up at night. He’s learning hard lessons from the consequences of his choices, and He’s in God’s hands. We’re close and so he knows we love him no matter what. Worrying won’t help either of us.
When Faith and Anxiety Fight, Remember You are Loved
Sometimes, anxiety wins. That’s just a fact. We aren’t perfect. So, if you find yourself lying in bed at night, unable to sleep because worry is stealing your rest, don’t despair. God loves you. He is for you. He wants to take away your worry. First Peter 5:7 is another of my favorite verses. What’s interesting is the verse right before it, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” and then verse 7, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
Be humble. Admit you can’t fix things. And then let God care for you in the way He wants to care for you.
Listen to the short version of this meditation I wrote for Abide about being relentlessly loved by God. Your fear doesn’t scare Him, nor does it change His character, which means He loves you no matter what.
Sleep refreshes, rejuvenates, rebuilds. Don’t let worry steal that gift. Let your trust in God win the fight between faith and anxiety, and sleep peacefully, knowing God works all things for your good and His glory.
Let Abide be your daily companion as you seek to win the war between faith and anxiety. Our more than 400 sleep stories all exist to help you experience the peace of Christ. When you’re at peace, you sleep better. Download the app and start a premium subscription. This will give you access to our entire library of content. Use this link for 25% off.
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