When You are Riddled with Anxiety

I woke up at 4:30 this morning (2 hours and 15 minutes before the alarm goes off), and my brain started churning.  My thoughts are riddled with anxiety.  Not over work, but over family worries.  Satan loves to trap me into these thinking patterns.  "You're not doing enough. You're not loving enough.  You're not involving enough.  You're not building enough. You're not being intentional enough."  I bet he has a series of thoughts that he drills into your heart and mind too. 

So my job, as my mind is spinning, is to tell Satan to "Get out!  Leave me alone!  I'm God's child, I follow his ways, and I will go where he leads me to do what he asks me to do."  My plea should be to the Lord, "Calm my soul, still my heart, speak your truths to the depths of my being."

And God whispered one verse to me as I was tossing and turning in bed:

Ps 55:22  Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

 

When I finally got out of bed 45 minutes later, he gave me several more verses:

1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Mt 11:28-30  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Phil 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Note to self:  None of these scriptures tell me to map out a plan and work to achieve my goals.  They all focus on the posture of my heart.  Lord, let me recline beside you and turn my ears to hear your voice.  Center my heart and mind on things above.  Guide me, hold me, transform me, use me, and fill me with more of you.

 

What is heavy on your heart today?  Take time to share your heart with the Lord, because he cares for you.  Let HIM sustain you.