Faith Over Fear : Trusting God When You’re Anxious.
I’ll be completely honest here. I get overwhelmed… a lot.
But here’s the thing: This fear that I find myself drowning in is a direct result of me trying to take control of my life. I try to schedule and plan everything meticulously so that I won’t have to stress about anything- but it does the exact opposite. When life throws in unexpected twists and turns, I find myself getting lost trying to navigate them. Instead, I should be giving everything to God. We cannot carry the burdens of life on our own as they’re simply too heavy for us to bear. And the more we try to carry, the heavier the load gets: the fear, anxiety, worry, overwhelm- they become crushing.
So instead of letting fear and overwhelm rule our lives, let’s explore some ways in which we can hand over our struggles to God:
1.) Acknowledge that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed.
I’m not here to tell you that being a “good Christian” means that you’ll never feel afraid or overwhelmed. It’s human nature to experience these feelings. However, what is important is that we can recognize our thoughts, take them captive, and give them to the Lord. When I was living alone, I constantly had a terrible fear that someone was going to break in. I resisted the idea of praying about it because I felt that if I wasn’t worried or on guard, I wouldn’t know when something bad was happening. Living alone was scary, and that was a normal feeling for me to have. But after a while, these unchecked feelings become debilitating. I wasn’t sleeping or eating properly; I was a mess. The initial feelings of worry and fear can simply be a response to our circumstances, but what we do with those feelings is what’s most important. But don’t let anybody make you feel bad about your struggle with fear or anxiety. Just continue to be aware of these feelings, and give them to the Lord when they arise.
2.) Spend time in prayer.
Spending time in prayer is the best way to help fight your anxiety and overwhelm. Talk to God, lift all of your worries and fears to Him, and ask Him for guidance. As I mentioned in the 1st tip, sometimes we don’t want to pray about it. We feel safer in our heightened and “on-guard” state of mind (which is again, another form of us taking control). We don’t want to feel like we aren’t paying attention or fixing our issues. As Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
3.) Read God’s Word.
The Bible is full of promises and reminders from God. Here are some to save or write down when you’re feeling overwhelmed, fearful, or anxious:
1 Peter 5:6-7: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Hebrews 13:6: So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Always remember that God has a plan for us, and we can trust his perfect timing. Surrender everything to Him, and you will have a burden lifted from your shoulders.
4.) Have a supportive community.
This can be a friend, a sibling, a significant other, a church group- anyone who you can talk to and pray with about your struggles. Together, you can lean on the Lord and trust His plan for you. Sometimes it is truly helpful to hear others speak to you and hear their testimonies as well. You can know that you’re not alone in your struggle with feeling fear or overwhelmed.
5.) Remember who God is.
Always remember God’s character: he is merciful, sovereign, loving, and faithful. He will carry you through your fears and anxieties, and you can find rest knowing that He is always there.
Psalm 23:1–6: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
6.) Surrender.
As I have mentioned, often times our overwhelm and anxiety come from a desire to maintain control over our lives. But, the only way that we will find peace is if we surrender our fears to the Lord. We need to release our grip on trying to understand everything that is going on in our lives and trust that God has a plan for all of us.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Trusting God in the midst of overwhelm and fear is a difficult journey that requires patience, faith, and a willingness to surrender everything to Him. However, through prayer, community, faith, and releasing control, you can lift your burdens to the Lord, and He will sustain you.
