W O R D S  A T  T H E  W E L L

Do you struggle with anxiety? Worry? Control? 

In general, this is not my area of fragility. In fact, I have a motto, “I’ll worry when there’s something to worry about.” For the most part, I think I do a pretty good job of ignoring the small stuff. I think this is a healthy life skill. However, I also realize that I move through life so quickly that I ignore things like grief, sadness, and discomfort . . . this is unhealthy. 

While I usually don’t struggle with anxiety and worry, this week it hit me hard. And not in one particular space but in many areas of life. Ironically, last week I finished reading a book on the issue of anxiety, worry, and control and I boasted to a friend, “These aren’t my issues. I’m just reading it to recommend to women who struggle in this area.” Joke’s on me. 

Since anxiety felt so foreign, I did something that felt familiar: I created a list. You probably thought I was going to say, “I prayed.” Or, “I read Scripture.” Nope, I made a list. I love lists. They help me organize my thoughts and feel in control. Hmmmm, maybe I have issues after all. I wrote a list of all the things causing my anxiety. Turns out there were four. Then, I wrote Philippians 4:6-7: 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” 

I’ve read this verse countless times and I’ve noticed a few things. First, God commands us to “not be anxious.” This means we actually do have control—control over whether we will be anxious; control over our thoughts and emotions. What we can’t control is the very thing we want to control: other people, circumstances, and outcomes. Second, this verse does not say that God will change those people, circumstances, or outcomes. Nope. We are called to change ourselves despite the situation around us. 

The thing I noticed this week that I had never noticed before was one simple word: thanksgiving. We are called to cover our prayers with thanksgiving. So, I returned to my anxious list, and I prayed over every single thing, but this time instead of asking God to change each thing, I thanked God for each thing. Instead of letting my mind spiral into a place of anxiety regarding each issue, my mind focused on gratitude. Maybe that is the lesson when it comes to anxiety: the situation, the person, or the outcome may never change, but our attitude, our outlook, and our gratitude can. 

What about you? What do you do when you feel anxious? Stressed? Worried? Do you ask God to change the thing causing your anxiety? Or do you offer up thanksgiving for the very thing causing you anxiety? I encourage you this week to meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 and find ways to offer thanksgiving in life’s most anxious circumstances.