The journey of overcoming anxiety has been exhausting. It has changed me…, I’m not as easily out-going as I used to be, I’m easily exhausted by social outings and unfamiliar environments, and I struggle with any attention on me. Uncontrollable shifts in my life, good or bad, have caused anxiety to warp my perception of life. Often feeling undeserving of the good things and when the bad things happen I feel defeated.
The enemy tries to constantly attack my mind. You see…. he “tries to”, but I just won’t let him get the best of me. He may throw in a few punches here and there, but I won’t let him steal my joy.
That is the enemy’s goal, it is to weaken our minds so that we develop an idle mind, become self-sufficient, and lose our sense of reality.
This post is to encourage someone with how I face anxiety and to make aware that there are so many people that are struggling in the same way. I have noticed that the enemy has a target on our minds.
The enemy is afraid of your future and he’s afraid of you breaking those generational curses, so he wants to mess with your mind and get you off track. Instead, allow this to make you stronger! Keep fighting, God is on your side!
Refuse to let the enemy take your mind captive!
Whenever anxiety would occur, I’d tend to feel guilty. I’d feel guilty because I realized I tried to take uncontrollable matters into my own hands or because I allowed my mind to be tempted into thinking negatively. I started to feel that I wasn’t living with purpose because my mind was in a cycle of mistrust with God, other people, and my general environment.
In many cases having that mistrust led me into fearing the worst and thinking of the worst-case scenarios, rather than remaining my normally positive and optimistic self.
I have to constantly tell myself this…
“GIRL LISTEN!, don’t forget to take care of yourself… quit worrying and trying to control, and fix everything that’s not going the way you envisioned for yourself and others… Do well in what you can control… Give yourself some grace… You’ll be alright… Give the reins to God. Let him take control… Don’t lean on your own understanding!! He’s got your back!”
Hey! There’s nothing wrong with having to keep yourself accountable and to remind yourself not allow the enemy to set traps of habitual skepticism in your mind.
I can’t allow my mind to run rat races fearing what might happen, what did happen, or even wondering if I made the right decisions. I have learned that I have to live on and have faith that the decisions I make are God led. If they aren’t then I will learn from them and God will continue to lead me towards his purpose for my life. I can’t control every aspect of my life and worry about how others react to my every action. I have had to learn to give myself some grace and accept Gods grace. (Galatians 2:20-21) By not accepting his love and grace, it would be as if he died for nothing.
After realizing my struggle with anxiety I had to dig deep and figure out why. Here are a few things that have fueled my fear/mistrust/anxiety:
- Fear of the future
- Fear of disappointing
- My Season of Singleness
- Lack of security
- Health-Related Fears
- Thinking about Traumatic Childhood Events
- Social Hangouts
- Driver’s Anxiety
Some are anxieties I have overcome and some are still current. A lot of these anxieties relate to not having control of the past, present, or future circumstances and not knowing how to fight through them.
To be honest, it is really too much to try to handle and comprehend it all on my own. Giving God control of your circumstances will take the pressure off and allow you to have the strength to walk through every situation with less worry and stress.
One of the main ways I redirect anxiety is by carrying around a key ring with scriptures that encourage me and help to reframe my thoughts.
This key ring assists me in fighting anxiety on the go, I can read the scriptures whenever I start to worry or fear.
I ENCOURAGE YOU to do the same, to help fight anything you are dealing with. My bible is not always readily available and I’d rather not rely on my phone, so these cards help on demand.
Also by,
- Praying
- Journaling/ Having Devotional Time
- Having a personal time to worship in song
- Serving others (thinking about someone other than myself)
- Asking for help/ guidance when needed (practicing humility and to be less self- sufficient)
- Exercising
- Reading books that respond to the situations I have anxiety over
- Having positive friends in my circle with like faith ( positive conversations)
- Talking to a therapist
Basically, don’t ignore it… trying to ignore it will make it worse. Take action!
Life Verses: Here are scriptures that have helped me on this journey, and I hope they do the same for you!
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”.
-1 Peter 5:7
The Lord cares so much about you that he will carry your worries, so you don’t have to.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. “
– 1 Peter 5:8
Be aware that the devil is looking to attack the weak, and in this case, if your mind is weak, he will attack your thoughts.
“Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
– 1 Peter 5:9
With all your strength resist the devil’s temptation to think negative, stay strong because there are many other people going through the same thing. You are not alone, but you are also helping others stay strong by fighting through.
“Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (1st Greatest Commandment)
– Matthew 22:37
Truly love the lord by spending time with him and fill your mind with the thoughts of Christ, so there is no room for anything else to take priority.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
– Proverbs 3: 5-6
You want control of everything in your life, but if you would just surrender it all to the Lord, he will take care of everything. Don’t keep God’s possibilities boxed in your understanding.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
-Isaiah 41:10
God will carry you through every tough situation, don’t go crazy trying to do and figure it all out by yourself. He will not leave you alone.
The scriptures above and many more have helped shape my thoughts to be more positive and allow my mind to be surrendered to the control of the Lords and not the enemy. They’ve also helped me realized that I am not alone and that as long as I put all my trust in the Lord I shouldn’t worry.
I pray that this encourages you to press on, even when it may “look” like there is no end.
You are stronger then you know. You have such a loving father who cares so much for your well being. He does not want you to suffer. If you surrender those thoughts to God he will carry you through the fire.
For this reason, I believe that the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past.
– Lisa Bevere
Continue to fight! Don’t give up! Your future is so bright!
—Love, Shardea’ Nicole
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-D2R-
Designed to Radiate 
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