Philippians 4:6 (CEB)

Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.


Reflection

Whether anxiety is a rare or frequent occurrence for you, you probably know the weight it carries. It can make our muscles feel as though they’ve become sandbags. Suddenly things that were once easy to do become very difficult – maybe even just getting out of bed. Anxiety has plagued much of my life and for me, it often comes from two sources:

  1. Taking on too much responsibility for things I am not actually in control of.

2. Feeling as though I’ve been gifted so much and I fear messing it all up.

There are lots of helpful tools for anxiety – and of course Pastor Joe and I are always available to talk if there’s something that you’re feeling anxious about that is affecting your life. There are breathing techniques (my favorite is box breathing) and tapping practices like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). These amongst others have been helpful tools in my practice of getting a handle on anxiety. Along with these practices, there’s something I’m constantly having to remind myself: I do not have to carry this heavy anxiety alone.

When we feel anxious, and that weight begins to drown us, remember that God wants to share the load with us. Just as today’s text tells us, we can offer to God all of our prayers and petitions when we are anxious (or anytime, really). And in that invitation to share that load with God, we can give thanks that God wants to have that kind of relationship with us.

By Rachel Callender


For Pondering & Prayer

What tools do you use when you feel anxious or stressed? How can you remind yourself, a loved one, or a neighbor of God’s presence in our anxiety?

Prayer: Friend God, we have so much to thank you for and today we give extra thanks for the weight and anxiety you want to lift from our shoulders. Thank you. Amen.