I recently started a new part-time job.
As with anything new, there's a learning curve.
I found myself increasingly frustrated that there was so much new stuff to absorb. Little things, like where is the staff bathroom? And bigger things, like understanding the details of the reading tutor position and how to relate to the kids in the cafeteria who flow in for lunch in six different segments during a three-hour action-packed time frame.
Yesterday it seemed too much.
There was simply too much for my mind to comprehend. Nervousness and anxiety soon took over, along with a negative attitude. I began telling myself, "you're not going to succeed at this."
But this morning I had a wake-up call. This morning God reminded me that it's that very presence that makes the difference.
Because God's presence changes things.
God's presence puts life in perspective. There simply is nothing more powerful than that presence.
Nothing.
That underlying stability was what I had been missing this week. I had allowed everyday life to overtake the reality of the Living God.
Wow!
How absurd for me to think I could get by on my own, without acknowledging the Creator of the Universe.
As if to underscore this spiritual tap on the shoulder, there were several Tweets sent out earlier today on Twitter that spoke to this reality. God is bigger than any situation that we face. Whatever situation we may be facing may not necessarily change immediately, but God's presence will allow us to view the situation from a different perspective. That view, from God's eyes, totally changes everything. God's presence ushers in a treasure of spiritual resources to help us.
From God's point of view, we aren't responsible for the outcome. From God's point of view, our place is to lean into God and then see anxious thoughts go. It's exactly what Paul wrote: "Be anxious for noting, but in all things, with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will guard your minds and your hearts in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4.6).
That isn't just a prescription for how to handle anxiety. It's a promise.
When anxiety knocks on the door, we have a God-given plan.
1. Recognize the anxiety
2. Start praying (giving the anxious thoughts to God)
3. Praise God for what God's done. Be specific, remembering instances of God's faithfulness in your life)
4. Let God know what you need (being as specific as possible, even if it's "Lord, take these anxious thoughts away!")
5. Expect and receive God's peace
It's important to remember that God's peace very likely won't make logical sense to you. In fact your logical mind might even try to convince you that just because you gave the anxious situation up to God, that doesn't take it away. But be assured, God's presence is infinitely more powerful that anything we will face today.
The bottom-line of it is that God's promise to us is that we're always covered.
God has given us a very practical way to receive the spiritual help we need when anxiety knocks on our door. We don't have to fear or deny the anxiety. We can see it as an opportunity to draw deeper into God's presence, being thankful for what God's already done, letting God know what we need, and then, with confidence in God, expect God's peace in return.
Photo Credit: www.studygrowknowblog.com
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