Anticipation for Anxiety

Albert Einstein stated “Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.” I remember a science lesson on this concept that walked us through hail falling from the sky, melting into water, evaporating as vapor and returning once again as water in the form of rain. I am certain all of us studied this at some point or another. It was all water but in different forms.

 

Sometimes we discover we need to be in a different form ourselves. Currently, I am fluffy and I would like to change my form to not so fluffy. My physical form is not as critical as my mental state…my spiritual state.

 

 

Worry Is a Rocking Chair

 

I have always been a worrier. I have tried to motive myself out of worry with anecdotes like “worry is like a rocking chair – it keeps you busy, but gets you nowhere.” Even in my faith I have a trend toward worry. That is what happens to people who want to please. We are always concerned if we are measuring up. It’s anxiety. It is anxiousness to know if we did well. It is about acceptance, security and a laundry list of other feelings. The dictionary defines anxiety simple as that – “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”

That defiantly works counter to faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Anxiety and faith are not even in neighboring zip codes. Yet, many of us find ourselves in fits of worry even as we profess our faith. No wonder we don’t see fruit. We are digging up our personal mustard seed of faith before it can ever take root.

Reset

Yes, I know telling you to hit the reset button is not as easy as it was on an Atari in the 80’s. We can’t just start fresh in the moment, right? The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that God makes all things new. ALL! That includes anxiety passing away.

 

Which brings me back to Einstein. If energy changes forms, can’t that be true for “emotional energy”? All the energy I put into worry has to go somewhere. I propose it becomes anticipation once I really step into faith. Anticipation is an expectation. With faith we expect an outcome based on the promises of God. Everything with God is through FAITH, so anticipation fills us to the point anxiety has no room to blossom.

Changing a default setting, for most of us, does not happen overnight. I still worry, but it is getting less and less. When worry starts to overwhelm I praise, I pray. I have worried and fretted over my upcoming mission trip. Mostly about the financial component but also about if I were up to the task, traveling and a plethora of other things I could list. When days go without a pledge or donation I feel the anxiety trying to take hold. I am daily turning toward anticipation of what is going to happen. What testimonies there will be from the team, from me? I think of all the ways I am going to witness God working through the team…through me. The more I focus and anticipate what will be, the less I concern myself about how it will unfold. I am anticipating the future in faith, not struggling with anxiety in the moment.

It is a daily correction in my thoughts. I feel like it is going good in one area and something else starts creeping in with an anxious thought. That is okay too. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says “… My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  If you keep reading it says, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” Let me leave you with this thought…I am okay with being weak. I am okay with not being able to do everything I want to do and accomplish my list of things I have deemed important. That weakness that I share with you, dear reader, is where God is going to show strong in me. The same is true for you. Anticipate what God is doing for you even now. He gives us beauty for ashes, or in this case anticipation for anxiety.