Posts Tagged ‘Worry’

Economy/Health=Anxiety!

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Health, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2009| 6 Comments »

A Beautiful Picture of God’s Creation! New River Gorge, W.VA.

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Are you more anxious than usual?  Has the bad economy and job insecurity dragged you down?   Are you concerned you won’t have enough money to pay the bills, and you might lose your home?  Are you anxious about your children and their future? Are you worried about catching the swine flu? The list could go on and on.

If you are a Christian I want to remind you that we do not have to live with worry.  In fact, God has told us not to worry, “be anxious for nothing.”  God knows all about each of our individual lives and needs and He is still in control, even though it doesn’t look like it at times. 

Have you ever really grasped the truth that God is Sovereign?  It is so important and especially during these hard times to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God knows what you face, and that He does not allow anything into your life that He does not permit for His own purpose.  You may not fully understand but you can be sure He does. 

I’ve struggled with this truth myself and wondered why certain things happened, but I’ve come to the point where I know that God’s purpose for me is my eternal happiness.  No matter what happens I have a home in Heaven where everything will be wonderful beyond anything I can imagine. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Pro 3:5-6 NASB

Also, the Bible tells us that He will not permit us to go through more than we can endure.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1Co 10:13 NASB

When I talk about God being Sovereign I mean that God is absolutely free to do whatever He wants.  He is GOD! He is in complete control!  We are not.  He is in charge and rules over us and the world. We must depend on Him for the outcome.  He is Lord and He owns us, therefore, we can be sure He wants only the best for us.  And, He is the only one who knows what is best!  When we realize that God is the one who calls the shots then we can rest in the security of His wisdom.  That knowledge gives us peace!

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.    Psa 103:19 NASB

Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psa 135:6 NASB

God is in control of the seasons and day and night.

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.” Gen 8:22 NASB

God controls the weather.

For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea. Psa 107:25 NASB

God knows the number of our days, as individuals and as nations.

“Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. Job 14:5 NASB

and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,  Act 17:26 NASB

God does whatever He wants, even over-ruling plans of people and nations.

Psa 33:9-11  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.   The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

It is God who gives us success in anything we do.  We can do nothing apart from Him.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  Joh 15:5 NASB

God has adopted us into His family and given us an inheritance.  We were predestined to this for His purpose, and for His glory.

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  Eph 1:11 NASB

God is even Sovereign over our rebellion and sin.

So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Rom 9:18 NASB

After pondering all of these scriptures, don’t you agree that God is in control?  He will take care of us and His will will be done in our lives.

Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that we are not to worry.  Read this section. He says that He will take care of us.  Instead of wringing our hands and worrying we are to do the following:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mat 6:33 NASB

Then He concludes by saying this:

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Mat 6:34 NASB

Here is a great promise from God telling us what to do with our anxiety.  We can let God handle it. We don’t need to carry it.

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  1Pe 5:7 NASB

Another promise we can count on.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Php 4:19 NASB

So, we can conclude with this wonderful uplifting scripture.  We do not have to be anxious over our circumstances.  We do not have to be anxious over perceived fears of things that might or might not come about. 

We must keep our focus on Jesus and know that He loves us and will meet our needs. 

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 KJV

I pray this reminder will bless and help you keep your focus on things above and not on your circumstances.

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. Psa 121:2 NASB

“Deny that God is governing matter, deny that He is ‘upholding all things by the word of His power’, and all sense of security is gone!” Arthur W. Pink

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Where Should We Go For Help?

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2008| 1 Comment »

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Where should we go for help when we have problems?  That is a good question which everyone must answer.  We do have choices.

When you fall down and break your arm, it’s easy to decide to go to the doctor to get it set and a cast put on so that it will heal properly. God does the healing.

When you feel out of sorts and don’t know why, you know to get to a doctor and have a check up.  You might have some disease like diabetes, or thyroid problems, or the flu.  The doctor can help. 

So, where should we go when things get so bad that we are anxious all the time and even become afraid of doing things?  Or when we start having spells where we get out of breath, perspire, get weak, shaky, and our heart pounds? 

First, I believe you should go to your family doctor and find out if there is anything physical going wrong in your body.  They will run a few tests and tell you if you are physically alright. 

Second, if your tests all come out okay, but you are still having these kinds of issues, then you should consider them to be of a spiritual nature. 

“Struggles of the soul and problems of living must be dealt with as spiritual problems with spiritual solutions.”  Competent to Minister, The Biblical Care of Souls, by Martin & Deidre Bobgan. (Pg. 15)

Psa 1:1-3 NASB  How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

This Psalm tells us that we should not seek out worldly people for advice. That includes psychiatrists as well as Christian counselors who add psychology to their teaching.  We should not even hang out with worldly people.  Instead, we should go to the Word of God, delight in it, and meditate on it.  There we will find the answers to problems of the soul.  And God will bless us for going to Him for our counsel.

We can also go to mature spiritual Christians, or pastors who know the Bible and are living according to it.  They can pray with us and for us.  Along with the power of the Holy Spirit, God will reveal how to handle these problems.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “(Most) blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out it roots by the river and shall not see and fear when heat comes, but his leaf shall be green; he shall not be anxious and careful in the year of drought, not shall he cease from yielding fruit.” (Amplified Version)

God wants us to be blessed and not full of fear and dread.

Because God loves us and created us He knows how we tick.  He has given us His Word as a guide.

2Ti 3:16-17 LITV  All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  17  so that the man of God may be perfected, being fully furnished for every good work.

Scripture is sufficient to guide us in all things that have to do with the heart, soul, and mind. 

2Pe 1:2-4 NASB  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  3  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  4  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The Bible is full of promises. There are hundreds of them.  God does not lie but He does keep His promises.  He can do that because He is God.  We fail miserably in that area don’t we?  How many times has someone broken a promise to you and you were heartbroken?  How many times have we also failed to live up to a promise?  We all do it because we are human.  But, not so, with God.  If you find a promise in scripture you can be sure God will not let you down.

We don’t need psychiatrists telling us how to live our lives.  We don’t need secular counselors giving us advise.  We don’t need all those psychotropic drugs that put us in la-la land.  We have the Wonderful Counselor! He is the Prince of Peace, and He can give us the peace that passes understanding.

Isa 9:6 NASB  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (NASB)

When Jesus left this earth He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every believer to be our teacher, our comforter, and counselor.

Joh 14:26 LITV  but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you. (LITV)

The Word of God is precious.  Immerse yourself in it.  Read and study the Word and you will find the answer to all your problems pertaining to life and godliness.  We want to live in a way that glorifies our precious Savior. 

As we grow in grace we become more and more like Christ.  Our old habits, fears, and worries pass away.  We don’t have to carry them anymore.  Our Lord handles them for us. We begin to change as we put on new godly habits, and give our troubles to the one who loves us most.  And, to think someday we will be like HIM!  Oh, Glory to God!

Blessings,
Bonnie

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Slave to Christ

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Gospel, inspirational, Praise, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2008| 1 Comment »

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October’s beauty!

Have you ever thought of yourself as a slave to Christ?  I hadn’t until recently.  I thought more of myself as a servant of Christ.  Like a helper at times.  But a slave, no.

As I began to think about this I realized that we can be slaves to many things.  Who or what are you a slave to?  Anyone or anything that controls us owns us, and we are slaves to them. 

Some could be slaves to alcohol, money, lust, sex, pornography, smoking, sports, illegal drugs, pot, television, work, or fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are just some of things we can be controlled by.  We can also be a slave to people; our husbands, our children, our friends. 

On the other hand we should be a slave to Christ.  However, the Bible tells us we cannot serve two masters.

Matthew 6:24 NASB  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

So there is the problem.  Who or what do we serve? 

When we become a Christian we do not any longer have to be a slave to fear.  God adopts us into His family.  He takes care of us from then on.

Romans 8:15 LITV  “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!”

It is the same with the other bondage’s that we find ourselves in.  When we turn our lives over to the Lord as our Lord and Master, then we no longer have to be a slave to anyone or anything. 

Rom 6:6 NASB  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

The Greek work “Doulos” in the Bible is often translated as servant.  It should be slave.  It does make a difference.

A servant is one who has a choice.  They worked for wages and could quit at any time.  A servant can do what he wants and is free to make his own decisions. 

But a slave is bought and owned.  He is to do the will of his master.  He has no rights and cannot do as he pleases.

1Co 7:22-23 LITV  For the one called while a slave in the Lord is a freed man of the Lord. And likewise, the one called while a free man is a slave of Christ.  23  You were redeemed with a price; do not become slaves of men.

You see when Jesus died on the cross for the payment of our sins he bought us with his own precious blood.  He now owns us and the Word says we are to become a slave of Christ.  That is an awesome thought!

In the Bible, Paul saw himself as a slave of Christ. 

Rom 1:1 LITV  Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated to the gospel of God,

Gal 1:10 LITV  For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Paul is talking to Timothy here.  He refers to Timothy as a slave of the Lord.

2Ti 2:24 LITV  But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,

When we see ourselves as a slave of Christ our whole attitude changes.

  • We realize we have been bought and are not our own.  We can then die to “self.” And, let that part of us go.
  • We need to be always available and ready to serve our Master.
  • We need to make sure we don’t get caught up with trying to serve two masters.
  • We need to pray and keep close to our dear Lord.
  • We need to be dependent on Him for all things.  He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory.  (Philippians 4:19.)
  • We need to realize that God may allow trials and troubles to come into our lives, but they are to discipline us and grow us to be more like Him.  They are for our good.
  • And, we need to know that everything good that comes our way is from God Himself. 

We’ve truly been blessed when we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. 

  • He has made us a child and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:14-17) 
  • We are an ambassador for Christ, (II Corinthians 5:20),
  • a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a possession of God (I Peter 2:9),
  • and a holy temple of the living God. (II Corinthians 10:5)

We will actually rule and rein with the Lord in Heaven some day.  Isn’t that truly amazing!  What a Savior!  What a Master!

That is only a few of the blessings God bestows upon us.  And to be honest none of us deserve any of it.  I’m truly happy to learn that I am a slave to Christ! 

Scripture taken from NASB  New American Standard Bible and LITV Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

Note: For more teaching on the subject of slaves for Christ you can go here to John MacArthur’s web site. 

http://www.gty.org/Products/DVDs/8280-321

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Fear of Fear Pt. 4 (Hope & Help)

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 13, 2008| Leave a Comment »

 

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We’ve looked at several things that Paul and Kim, the people in our examples had to understand to conquer fear and panic.  Remember that Paul was afraid to cross bridges and Kim was afraid to drive or ride in cars. We started to look at some important facts that Paul needed to understand and consider in order to conquer these problems.  They will help all of us.

1.  His fear was real.

2.  His fear was wrong and sinful.

3.  His fear was not of bridges; it was a fear that had become associated with bridges.

4.  Paul’s real fear was of the experiences.  (The cause of fear)

5.  Here is the key to becoming an overcomer.

6. There is not some mysterious thing going on.

7. The devil made me do it!

Now we will move forward to some other things to think about:

8.  Normal anxiety is good.

There are times when “normal anxiety” is good for us.  Think about that!  Just knowing that takes some of the pressure off.  We need to understand normal anxiety or tension, and use it for good instead of fearing it and trying to remove it. 

When is anxiety good?  Well, suppose you had to get up and give a lesson in front of people at church.  When we do something like that we all feel “nervous,” or “anxious.”  This, believe it or not, is not bad.  What happens is our adrenalin flows in anticipation of when we get up there and speak and we have those butterflies in our stomach, our mouth goes dry, and our hands become sweaty.  Have you ever noticed that many speakers have a glass of water nearby for them?  That is why.  I think most of us have experienced this.

For you and I, we would think we were about to have a panic attack.  This is because we relate those feelings to a panic attack.  In fact, they are normal feelings when we are in those situations.  The good thing this does for us is cause us to be more alert, and more on target with our talk.  It gives us that energy and edge we need to make our talk interesting, and keep the attention of those whom we address. 

I’ve experienced this myself since I’ve had panic attacks.  I’ve had to lead groups now and again and it seemed every time I’d get nervous before doing it.  But, I learned that once I got going with my lesson I’d settle right down.  It was that extra energy that made the lesson interesting and made me more animated and outgoing.  I’d even think of things that I hadn’t planned in my lesson.  I credited the Holy Spirit who helped me, and that is true also.  We must make sure we do all things prayerfully.

The tension the body creates when we are about to do something is good tension.  We need to realize that and harness it.  It helps us to do a better job.  It is only when we feel these anxious feelings and tell ourselves that we will have a panic attack that fear takes over and this good tension spirals out of control.  With understanding we can handle and control our normal anxiety.

The situation might be something like meeting a certain person, or going on a trip, or talking to the boss about a raise, or any number of things.  We get nervous and tense.

Another example of tension that we need but need not fear is going to a job interview.  A few of you face that situation right now.  Know that it is okay to feel that kind of tension as you prepare to go.  Do not interpret these feelings as a panic attack coming on, and then let your mind spiral into the fear thoughts.  You need to recognize what is happening and pray to God to help you with the interview. This tension will help you give a good interview.  Don’t be afraid of tense feelings if you are facing something. They are normal!  We must be alert, not overly relaxed, or not overly tense. 

When  need to keep our mind focused about the task at hand and the subject matter and not on ourselves.  When we drift out thoughts to ourselves, and think about “how well am I doing?” “How do I look?” “Do they like me?” then we have opened the door to the possibility of panic.

I often think about my level of tension like a car.  When I’m home I’m more relaxed and I think of it as being in “low gear.”  When I go out and get around people I often feel like I’m in “high gear.”  I’m revved up and ready to go!  I’ve often wondered why, but now realize that it is normal to feel that way.  My body gets ready for what ever I will face.  It is great to know that I’m not “strange,” with how I feel.  When I’m around new people especially I sometimes get giddy and think of all kinds of cute things to say.  That is nervous tension being released.  It can be used for good.

Jay Adams says,in The Christian Counselor’s Manual, Zondervan, 1973, “Normal anxiety is good and needs to be understood and used rather feared and removed.  This God has provided to enable men to live responsibly.  It is only the fear spiral–and at its end the debilitating panic–that is wrong and must be overcome.  Indeed it is through this normal anxiety preparation that God will give courage to face and conquer the problem.” 

9.  Courage:

Christians need courage to face this problem.  This courage will come out of our faith and trust in God and His Word.  We have many precious promises in the Word that we can cling to and know that God will be faithful.

Keep in the Word and prayer and God will renew our minds and help us be in control of anxiety.

10.  Understanding:

We have looked at several things that we need to understand in order to conquer those awful panic attacks in our lives.  There is hope, and with understanding of how the good Lord made us and how we operate, we can learn how to control our feelings and be overcomers!

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Fear of Fear -Pt. 2 (Cause and Key)

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 1, 2008| 4 Comments »

 

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Up to this point we have seen that Paul, in our example of someone who had the fear of crossing bridges, did not know what was happening to him and his problems kept getting worse.

We looked at two things he had to understand in order to be an overcomer of these fears.

1.  His fear was real.

2.  His fear was wrong and sinful.

Now we are going to look at some other points:

3. His fear was not of bridges; it was a fear that had become associated with bridges.

It is very important to understand this. He needed to recognize that the bridges did not cause his fear.  There is no reason to be afraid of bridges.  Kim, the person in our example that is afraid of cars, needs to recognize that the cars themselves are not her problem.  The car does not cause the fear.

My first panic attack occurred at work.  It was the most horrible experience I had ever had up to that point in my life.  I was terrified and thought for sure I would die. I was convinced it was my heart. But I didn’t die.  I went to the doctor and he said I’d most likely been overdoing it and to take a couple of days off and rest.  He also gave me some tranquilizers if I remember correctly.  I followed his instructions.  But, at the end of those days off I had to go back and face the same place where I had that traumatic experience.  As I think back that was a VERY stressful period in my life and it is no wonder my body said, “enough.”  Physically, I was out of shape.  I didn’t eat right or exercise.  I drank and smoked, and partied all I could.  I was emotionally upset a lot with relationships and work stress.  And, I was spiritually bankrupt, as I didn’t know Christ as Lord and Savior.  It is no wonder I had that first frightful panic attack.

A little time passed and I had another attack at work.  I didn’t know what I was having were panic attacks, I simply called them “spells.” I don’t think the doctors even knew what they were back then. I was completely in the dark. I went into a downward spiral.  I truly became afraid of my office.  I didn’t want to go and as I got more tired and stressed out I began to miss days, I showed up late, and tried to find peace in more drink.  It didn’t work.  Soon, I had a panic attack in the grocery store.  Another place to fear.

Next, it happened in the bank as I waited in line.  Lines became an issue with me. My point is my world became smaller and smaller.  I quit my job.  I fell out of society and stayed at home all I could.  I got other people to do the necessary things for me and I hid out in my “safe place.”  I had Agoraphobia. It didn’t have a life anymore, I only existed! I felt hopeless.  

I get many emails from people just like I was.  They feel hopeless and helpless.  They don’t know where to turn. Perhaps you can identify with me too. The good news is that I did become an overcomer and I believe you all can if you just realize what is going on and learn how to deal with it. 

4. Paul’s real fear was of the experiences.  (The cause of fear)

The bridges were not the cause of Paul’s fear.  The car is not the cause of Kim’s fear.  And, all those places: the store, my office, the bank, the post office, and so many more were not the cause of my fear.  Once I found that out, it did help me.  I was experiencing fear of fear.  I was afraid of those awful feelings I had experienced in those places.  It took me a long time to see that, but when I did it was a real eye-opener.

Fear of fear is dreading to go somewhere or do something because some time before when we went to that particular type of place or did that particular thing we had a bad experience and were terrified with the emotions and symptoms that flooded us. That was fear and we wanted to escape.  Now we fear having that same fear again so we avoid those situations.  That is fear of fear.  We are not afraid of the place really, but of the feelings of fear we got there.   

So, bridges, cars, the workplace, grocery stores, banks, the post office, or doctor’s office, don’t produce these experiences. I hope you can see this.  It is so important. We know logically that cars and bridges don’t produce panic attacks.  We know that. We’ve all been over many bridges and we’ve all been in many cars.  They are not the culprits. 

Romans 8:15 (NIV) “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

We don’t have to live as a slave to fear.  We can change. 

5. The key to becoming an overcomer.

It is our own thoughts that produce panic attacks.  We have had panic attacks, we produce them ourselves by the bad thought habits we have picked up, and that means that we can stop producing them by a change in our thought habits.  Isn’t that wonderful?  There is hope after all.

Psalm 34:4 (KJV) “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”

God wants to deliver us from all our fears.  Isn’t that wonderful?  That is His will for us.

6. There is not some mysterious thing going on.

It is really very simple.  Our thoughts effect how we feel.  We think ahead about going to the store, riding in a car, or crossing a bridge and because we associate our former bad feelings with these things we blame them and think it will happen again.  But, in reality we are anticipating anxiety.  We are looking for it. We set ourselves up for it.

We develop or produce it by worry.  Our minds center on what we think might happen.  We get vivid mental pictures of what might happen when we cross the bridge, drive the car, and shop in a store.  These pictures take on the “what if,” scenarios. We worry about “what if,” I get shaky, “what if” I pass out, “what if” my heart beats too fast, and everything else we can imagine.  When we do this our bodies react as though these things were happening right then and releases adrenaline, which in turn brings about the symptoms we are so afraid of. Sometimes we say, “it just came over me, out of the blue.”  But, it didn’t just come over us out of the blue because we allowed our thoughts to get control and take advantage of us.  The answer is to work on the way we think. 

II Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 

It is possible for us to be in control of our thoughts.  If it weren’t God would not have said so. 

Dear God, I lift up those who are reading this now.  Lord help them to see that there is a way out of the bondage of fear.  Help them realize that you are the answer.  Lord, please set them free.  Your Word says you came to set the captive free, and I pray that for any here who are slaves to fear.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Thy will be done.  Amen.

Next time we will dig a bit further into this subject.  Stay tuned! 

Check out my blog at www.hatchcreek.wordpress.com

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Fear of Fear -Pt. 1

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 26, 2008| 3 Comments »

Mister Woodpecker looking for a tidbit!

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Kim talked about having bad panic attacks when in a car.  She does pretty well at home but even the thought of going somewhere in the car starts her anxiety level to go up. This has become a serious problem for her and she can no longer enjoy taking rides or trips with her family. She struggles with this every day.

I’ve been reading some things by Jay E. Adams who is a highly respected Bible counselor.  In The Christian Counselor’s Manual, 1973 Zondervan Publishing House,  he talks about a man, Paul, who was afraid of driving over bridges.  It all started when he had a terrifying experience while crossing a bridge.  This was actually caused by a significant sleep loss.  After this experience whenever he approached a bridge he became uncontrollably fearful and agitated.  These later episodes were not actually from the previous sleep loss but stemmed from the fear of the previous experience.  Adams says, “He had associated the experience with  bridges, and in his anxiety over whether it would occur again while crossing the bridge, he had emotionally spiraled himself into a panic.” After that even the thought of crossing a bridge brought him a sense of apprehension. 

Most of us can identify with Kim and Paul’s problems. Paul’s sounds very much like what is happening with Kim only she has associated her bad experiences with a car?  She has had bad experiences while driving or riding in a car so now she gets nervous and starts to build up anxiety whenever she even thinks about going somewhere. She is anticipating panic.

Jay Adams said that the man “had to recognize certain facts and act in a Christian manner in accordance with them.”  We will look at some of them.  I’ve also added some of my own as I’ve gone through panic attacks myself. This my take more than one post, but here is part 1: 

1. His fear was real. 

There is real fear.  Paul’s was a fear of bridges, and Kim’s is a fear of cars. 

Maybe your fear is of the grocery store, bank, post office, driving, or something else.  I had many fears that kept me from living a normal life for many years.  I missed out on the most productive years.  I pray that you will learn something here that will keep you from following in my foot steps.

And, if you have already have had panic attacks for years don’t give up!  I truly believe that you can change too!  All with the help of our Wonderful Savior!  We just need to realize what is actually going on.

2. His fear was wrong and sinful.

We’ve talked about Dr. Claire Weekes’ books and how she taught acceptance.  She said we should accept those first feelings or symptoms and then kind of float through or past a panic attack.  I can understand what she is saying. If we get that first feeling then say to ourselves, “so what,” and kind of float by it we can sometimes keep ourselves from having a panic attack.  When we accept the feeling we don’t tense up so much and instead of tightening our muscles and bodies we relax a little bit and that takes the bit out of the attack.

I believe Dr. Weekes is a wonderful person and has helped a lot of people over the years.  I myself have all of her books in my library and they helped me understand the physical side of panic attacks.  I learned what was going on in my body when I had all those strange feelings.  This is good but it is not the total answer to being healed.  Her books are not written from a Christian perspective but from a secular world view.  Anyone can be helped to a certain extent from her books, believers and unbelievers alike.

But, as Christians we have something special.  God have given us the Holy Spirit to live within us and with Him all the power that we need to be overcomers of anything in our lives.  Our resources are different from those of the world.  We have the Word of God, the privilege of prayer, the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us.  I hope you realize how much more we have in Christ.  We are not the same as unbelievers and we do not have to live the same. 

Let’s go to the Word of God and apply what God says to our problems.

Psalms 1:1-2 NASB How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

God tells us not to get our counseling from the world but from His Word.
We should love the Word and take delight in it.  Keep it in our hearts and think about it all the time.  

Psalms 73:24 NASB With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory.

He will guide us as we follow His Word, and when we die He will receive us in Heaven.  That is wonderful!

Isaiah 9:6 NASB For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus is our counselor.  And one of His names is Wonderful Counselor!  How great is that?

We’ve learned in past posts that there are different types of fear.  We looked at; fear of the future, fear of man, and fear of death. These fears are sinful fears. 

But, we also saw there are good fears as well.  These are natural fears (which keep us from hurting ourselves) and most importantly the fear of God. These are holy fears.

Proverbs 29:25 NASB The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Philippians 4:6 NASB Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

2 Timothy 1:7 NASB For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

We can plainly see that God tells us in the Word that we are not to fear.  I remember when I first saw the verse “Be anxious for nothing…” It really shook me up.  Here I was an anxiety-ridden, wimpy person who didn’t dare to hardly exist, and He said “don’t be anxious?”  I was dripping with anxiety!

I put that verse in the back of my head for awhile and didn’t deal with it.  That was a mistake.  I wondered if it really meant what it seemed to.  It did. As I studied my Bible more I had to admit that worry and anxiety were indeed sinful.  That was a hard lesson for me. 

Matthew 6:27 NASB “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 6:34 NASB “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It is clear that God does not want us to worry and fret.  He is Sovereign and will take care of us.  If He tells us not to do something and we go ahead and do it, that is a sin.  I’m sorry, but it is true.

It means we are not to be anxious and we are not to worry.  They are both sins.  That is heavy stuff isn’t it?  It is a hard pill to swallow, but when we face it head on in Truth we will become overcomers.

Wayne & Joshua Mack in The Fear Factor, 2002 Hensley Publishing, said this, “The root meaning of phobo, the Greek term for fear, is “flight.”  That’s the nature of fear.  Fear causes us to run away from things that frighten us.  And fear becomes sinful when it causes us to run away from the things God has commanded us to do.”

He goes on to tell us that fear is the opposite of power and is the same as weakness.  When we can’t use our gifts and when we are not fulfilling our responsibilities and obeying God’s commands we are weak.  I can certainly identify with that.  I was so weak and fearful that I did not do anything constructive for a very long time.  I could not even go to church let alone be a helpful person there.  I could not have a social life.  I could not work.  I could not live a fulfilling life. I could not help others very much for a long time. One plus, I did pray a lot for others.  It took me a long time to learn the things I’m about to share with you. 

We will close on those thoughts for this time.  But, I want you to know that there is hope for you.  You can learn how to overcome those awful panic attacks with the help of our Mighty Savior.

May God richly bless you today!

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A Renewed Mind

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 16, 2008| 6 Comments »

Morning Sunrise  

A New Day

When we become Christians we can aquire a renewed mind.  Just as dawn bursts   forth with a new day, we can have a mind that is at peace with the world.

Philippians 4:6 (NASB) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

God doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything.  Our minds are precious to Him and he wants us be at peace.  He tells us not to worry but to pray. We can ask God for anything that is in His will.  He also, say that we must be thankful in our prayers.  We have much to be thankful for.  When we pray and give thanks and then petition God we will want what He thinks is best.  Then, we can leave the problem at His feet and rest in peace.

When we do He goes on to say: 

Philippians 4:7 (The Amplified Bible) “And God’s peace (be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Wow!  I think we’d better meditate on that for awhile, don’t you?  These verses are loaded with help and hope for us who are anxious and worry warts.

Wouldn’t you like to have that peace deep down in your soul?  We can be assured that we are saved through Christ and know that He is in control of all things.  We can learn to be content in whatever situation we are in.  This kind of peace can’t even be comprehended in our own finite minds.  This kind of peace will actually guard our thoughts when we are in Jesus Christ.

If we can attain to these scriptures, and we can by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be living in peace with God and with ourselves.  Anxiety and fear will not have a grip on us anymore!

Then he goes on in verse 8 of Philippians  to tell us what we should think about instead of worrying and fretting.  I will quote this too from the Amplified version of the Bible, as it is so good.

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things—fix your minds on them.” 

When it says, “fix” you mind on them means to get a tight grip on them.  Hang on to them, don’t let them go.  They are actually a good prescription for our mental health. 

Do your thoughts line up with the above?  We have to examine our thoughts and practice to think God’s way in order to renew our minds. It always amazes me to contemplate the fact that God loves us so much that he even cares about what we think.  Isn’t that amazing?  I mean do we really care about what others think?  Or, if we did, do we have any way to know what someone else thinks?  I’d like to know what my husband thinks sometimes, but then again it is probably better that I don’t.

God tells us to “renew our minds.” 

Romans 12:2 (NASB) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

You see if you work on what you think about you will renew your mind.  And if you keep reading and studying the Word, you will renew your mind.  We all need a mind makeover.  We don’t need to worry and be anxious.  That is not a part of what God wants for us.

Philippians 4:9 (NASB) The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul says to practice what you have learned, received and heard and seen in Him.  He had taught them and was an example and role model for them.  And he says to model your way of living in it and then the God of peace—which is of untroubled, undisturbed well-being–will be with you. 

I think the key word in the above verse is “practice.”  You see it doesn’t happen automatically.  We must practice just as an athlete practices and trains for an event.  Practice what you think about and how you think and it will become a habit.  You will be truly blessed by God with peace that passes understanding.

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Thankful to God?

Posted in American culture, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, Holidays, inspirational, Praise, Religion, Worship, tagged , , , , , on November 17, 2007| 4 Comments »

thankful

It is time to celebrate Thanksgiving again, and I’ve been thinking.

I wonder how many people are thankful to God on Thanksgiving?  I remember when I was growing up how much fun Thanksgiving was.  All of our family would get together at my folks house and we would have a feast.  My mom would cook for a couple of days ahead getting food ready.We would have turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, winter squash, baked beans, homemade pickles, cranberry sauce, olives, and for desert pies and homemade banana bread. (It makes me hungry just thinking about it.)

The men usually would go out hunting for deer in the morning and then when they came in for dinner would be really hungry and would share stories of the deer they saw but couldn’t get a shot at.   I used to love to hear all the hunting stories.

I recall the guys would actually make gluttons of themselves having contests to see who could eat the most.

Those are fond memories of family as we celebrated together.  But, you know what, I think we were thankful for all the wonderful food we had, but I can never remember that we ever prayed before we feasted or gave thanks to God for anything.  Now, that strikes me as sad.

After becoming a Christian I realized that God is the one who provides.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:19)

Yes, we can be thankful that we have a good job, that our family is healthy, that we have enough money.  We can be thankful for almost anything but God needs to be the object of our gratitude.  God has enabled us to work, to have a job, to make money.  He is the source of everything we have.

In Matthew 6:25-34 God tells us that we are more important than the birds and the flowers, and He provides for them.  He also tells us not to worry. Instead we need to be thankful for how He has provided for us by seeking Him and He will take care of us.

I had an email from a new Christian recently.  She can’t wait for Thanksgiving this year and said she has a new thankfulness now that she is closer to God.  She will look at the day in a new way this time.  Isn’t that great?

I pray each of you will be thankful this Thanksgiving holiday and that your gratitude will be directed toward God.

 

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