With You All Things are Possible

Josh Wilson – Things That I’m Afraid Of
Anxiety and depression are real even amongst Christians. I think this is the best song for what we struggle with. It is so encouraging!
When Josh sings, “I don’t feel brave, but I don’t have to be. The things that I’m afraid of are afraid of You.” It’s so true! Jesus is calm. He is standing beside you. He is there to protect you and help you through everything that you are afraid of. It’s normal to be nervous and afraid. It’s okay if you aren’t as strong as you think you should be. Jesus makes up the difference! He is patient with you and loves you dearly! I will talk more about patience in the next blog post, for this one I’d like to focus on what to do while being overwhelmed by anxiety.
Sometimes, when your heart is pounding and it starts to get difficult to breathe, you just need to stop what you are doing, go to a quiet place (if possible) and focus on your breathing as you talk to Him. Breathe in through your nose slowly and hold your breath for a few seconds, then breathe out your mouth. Whatever was making it flare up, give it to God as you focus on your breaths.
Pray a simple prayer like this one, “God, I don’t know why my body is reacting like this. I know it seems silly, but it’s scaring me and making it hard for me to go about my day normally. Please help me with this situation. Please help me to be calm. I know all things are possible with you. Thank you, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.” Repeat that prayer as often as needed. Rest your worries, concerns and all of your negative emotions on Him. He will give you peace and help you through it!
Your next step is to do this: focus on something good. Even if your life seems one hundred percent bad, I promise you it’s not. You’re still here, right? That means you still have a purpose on this earth. God has a plan, and you are part of it. Even if you feel worthless or are wondering what good could you possibly do, I promise you that you are worth so much to Him and many others. I promise that you can do good, and good will come out of your experiences and circumstances. Whether that be for you or someone else.
Sometimes the struggles you go through end up changing someone else’s life for the better. You make an impact with the decisions you make, even if you think no one’s watching. Ever heard of the ripple effect? That’s where one small thing that one person does makes an impact on another person’s life and then so on and so on. Like a smile or a kind word.
Have you ever had a bad day at work, but had a coworker or customer smile and tell you something encouraging or nice? Suddenly you can smile, realizing that there is some good in the world.
You can be that for others even during your pain. Smiling at or complimenting a stranger goes a long way sometimes. You may never know the impact you make on a person’s life until resurrection day. And that is why each and every day is so important. Make the most of each day! When your mind starts going down that dark path, tell it to stop! Turn your negative thoughts into positive ones. If the thoughts are true do something like this: “Yes, I’m slow. But that’s okay. I’m slow, but I’m kind.” It’s okay to agree with your negative traits, to accept them, you just have to focus on the positive ones!
After you have suffered, He will make you strong, like it says in 1st Peter 5:10. You can put on the armor of God, like it says in Ephesians 6:10-17. Sometimes when I find myself going down those dark roads that only lead to more misery, I remind myself to put up the shield of faith. The shield of faith blocks Satan’s arrows! Having faith is so important when you don’t know what to do or where to go. Having faith that God’s got you and you don’t have to worry or be afraid! So therefore, be on your guard like it says in 1st Corinthians 16:13 and be strong and courageous!
Know that Jesus loves you and He wants what’s best for you!
Bye for now, have a wonderful day!
~ Carissa