As I said in last week’s introduction, almost everyone has battled this powerful emotion at one time or another. It may have included full-blown panic attacks or something much milder. But whatever it looked like, you have probably experienced some form of anxiety.
Since I frequently counsel women who are smuggling with this issue, I thought I would go through some of the lessons I share in counseling.
Last week, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. This week we’re going to look at the first of two very important passages on the subject.
Anxiety … Almost everyone has battled this powerful emotion at one time or another. How about you? Do you ever find yourself distracted by anxiety and worry? Have you experienced full-blown panic attacks or a much milder version? Whatever it looked like, you have probably experienced some form of anxiety.
Perhaps it was because of COVID-19 and its new variants. Perhaps it was your marriage or children. Or maybe it was something else. Many things can trigger it and at other times it seems to have no direct cause.
Anxiety can cause us to become distracted, even immobilized. But the good news is that God’s Word has answers for anxiety and those who suffer from it.
Last week, I wrote about conquering worry and anxiety in your thought life. In that post I shared an overview for successfully winning the battle. I didn’t intend to continue writing on the subject. But the truth is, in some ways, it’s more of a war than a battle. To really walk in victory, we have to practice those things until they become our habitual way of responding and that can take time.
So, since I frequently counsel women who are smuggling with anxiety, I thought I would go through some of the lessons I share in counseling. These lessons will include journaling exercises and other practical steps, homework, if you will.
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Do you ever battle with worry, anger, and anxiety in your thoughts? How can you conquer them so your mind is filled with contentment and peace?
Also, find links to last week’s other posts. They covered everything from responding to private temptations and the unpardonable sin to how to trust God when evil seems to be triumphing everywhere.
Social media and the internet, love them or hate them, they are here to stay. The real question is, how will we use them? We can all think of ways they can be used for good but is it possible that they can, also, impact our worship? If so, we need to find out how so we can avoid it.
The top 10 most read posts for 2021. They cover a wide range of subjects from dinosaurs to divorce and from trials to why we can trust God and everything in between.
And last … this week’s happenings on Soul Survival.
2022. A new year stands before us. 2021 and 2020 before that have been challenging to put it mildly.
Viruses. Bombings. Senseless murders. Shut-downs. Financial hardships. Crime. Dirty, partisan politics. Suicide. Sexual immorality. Anger. Road rage. Persecution. The loss of religious freedoms.
The world around us has been and continues to be in upheaval. Everything is changing right before our eyes.
Even within the church world, there are many false gospels.
So, how will we know truth from lies? How can we stand strong in a changing world, when life gets hard, or stays hard?
Last year at this time most of us were happy that 2020 was in our rearview mirror and 2021 was on the horizon. But 2021 turned out to have more than its share of challenges, as well. COVID variants, politics, rising inflation, crime and for many of us, personal circumstances have all played a part. If we merely look at the circumstances around us, it would be easy to lose hope. Yet, as believers in Christ, we can choose to see life differently. One thing that can help is being part of a faithful Christian community.
This year is fast drawing to a close and many of us are thinking about our goals for 2022. And there are many important goals and resolutions we can make as we look forward.
Certainly, these last two years have reminded us all that it’s important to take care of our health. And while, as believers, we shouldn’t live in fear, we should use wisdom in that area. Maybe you have career, financial, or other personal goals for 2022, as well.
But we should never neglect the most important area of life … our spiritual life. One of the most valuable goals is to read the Bible regularly. And I would like to suggest one of the best ways is to read through it in a systematic way. So, how about you? Do you want to grow spiritually in 2022? If so, what is your plan to do so?
Why is reading through the Bible so valuable? Can’t we get everything we need by going to church, reading a verse or two each day and listening to podcasts here and there? Isn’t it just too time-consuming? One more thing on a long to-do list?
Or what if you’ve tried in the past, only to fall behind and give up? How can you do it successfully in 2022?
Emotions are real and part of being human. In fact, God created us as emotional beings. But problems result when we allow our emotions to control our thoughts, words, and actions. When that happens, we can quickly end up in a ditch, spiritually and relationally.
This is first in a series on “Handling Emotions Biblically.” In this series, we’ll look at emotions, how they affect us and how we can handle them God’s way.
I published this series three years ago but because so much of my counseling this year has had to do with worry, anxiety, depression and other emotions, I am editing and republishing it. I know you will find it helpful, not because of my writing, but because it’s based on God’s eternal truth.
