SHELBY TOWNSHIP – We are in an election season which often this brings anxious thoughts about what will unfold in the future. It is easy to look around at the state of our world and become fearful. This is what our spiritual enemy wants us to do. He wants us to get trapped in our earthy circumstances and begin to question God’s goodness to us. I know there have been times in my life when I have allowed the fear of the future to creep in. The following steps have helped me tremendously when battling anxious thoughts, especially when it comes to the fear of the future.
Below are four steps to battling anxious thoughts:
1 – Recognize the battle within.
Once the enemy can gain a foothold in our minds, he can get access to our hearts. It is vital to recognize when fear or anxiety first begins to creep in so that we can battle it. If we don’t battle the enemy, we can begin to make agreements with the enemy and believe the thoughts that don’t come from God. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV), Paul was teaching the people in Corinth the importance of their thoughts. He said,
“We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 – Remember who God is.
Anxiety comes when we become more focused on ourselves or our situation than we are on God. We must remember that God is sovereign which means that God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has authority over all things and is in complete control. Often, we allow the fear to overtake us because we aren’t resting in God’s sovereignty in our lives.
3 – Speak God’s promises over the fear.
Once we recognize the fearful, intrusive thought, and we remember who God is, we are then able to speak one of God’s promises over that fear to take away the power the enemy is trying to get over us. When I recognize a fearful or anxious thought and I stop it and replace it with a promise of God, then the neural pathways in my mind begin to be rerouted and redeveloped.
I love the verses in John 14:26-27 (NIV) when Jesus was talking to His disciples before He ascended into heaven.
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
In verse 26 Jesus tells us that He is sending a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who will remind us of God’s promises when we need them. This is great news to us! As we speak those promises over the fear or anxiety we are experiencing, Jesus promises to give us His peace.
4 – Stay connected to God.
In Isaiah 26: 3 (NIV) Isaiah writes,
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
As soon as we recognize when anxiety or fear is creeping into our mind, we must shift our perspective higher and stay connected to God. The word steadfast in this verse means “unwavering.” God wants to remain steadfast and unwavering in our thoughts towards Him. He doesn’t want us to be tossed about by all of life’s worries!
I love this quote from Corrie Ten Boom,
“When we look to the world we will be distressed, when we look within ourselves, we will be depressed, but when we look to God, we will find rest.”
The goodness of God is not a feeling; the goodness of God is a perspective. His goodness never changes based on our circumstances. God is good because of Who He is and what He has done for us. We can rest in His sovereignty when it comes to our future because He is in complete control.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen is married to Scott Blanchard, pastor of Lakepointe Church, and moved from Florida to Michigan in the summer of 2009 to plant Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township. She enjoys mentoring and discipling women and also leads women’s life groups through her church. She is passionate about helping women find their purpose in who God created them to be. She is on staff at Lakepointe Church and loves being part of what God is doing in the Metro Detroit area!