Thursday, April 30, 2015

HOW TO LESSEN ANXIETY

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Phillipians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:6-7

Let's face it, we are not going to be able to rid our lives of all the causes of anxiety in our lives but we can achieve some control over them. And sometimes, even eradicate a few of these bugaboos of the brain.  for the reality of what is good is just as real as the reality of what is bad.

I speak from recent personal experience.  A broken hip should be a first class factory of anxiety production but I give you my word, my anxiety factory has been working undertime.   And I credit my Lord and a backlog of faith that has charged to the forefront.  But if your anxiety factory is working overtime, as a first response don’t allow yourself to have a pity party.  If you start thinking negatively, hit the mute button and immediately start repeating some positive phrases you should always have waiting for you in your memory bank. If you don’t, your emotions will get out of control and take you down where you don't want to go.  Instead work on eclipsing, or at least shrinking, your anxieties by plugging into your thanksgivings.

If you think you’ve nothing to be thankful for it’s probably because you can’t see beyond your worries.  Negative thinking does that kind of thing; creates a kind of spiritual emotional nearsightedness. 

So make a list, not a perfunctory nod in that direction but really write down all that you have to be thankful for.  You write notes all the time to remind yourself of what you want to get at the grocery store, or to remind yourself of an important meeting….  And check it often if you need to keep reminding yourself. 

And then, be sure you don't get into playing the "What if?" game or "What was?"  Deal with the "What is?" truths.

Your left arm is paralyzed? (I've been there)  Become an expert on right arm accomplishments. 

You can't walk as well as once you could, or not at all?  Say a thanksgiving prayer for your limp or the invention of the wheel chair that does give you mobility.  Not the kind you would like - but still mobility.  You are having vision problems, hearing problems… we don’t have time to name all the problems flesh can grow heir to…but whatever is your problem, accentuate the positive otherwise the negative will accentuate on you.

Those of you who are reading this with some kind of worry hanging over you or that was hanging around not that long ago...raise your hand...I know no one is looking but do it anyway... (Please note...I raised my own hand while writing this.)  Alright, I'll bet that  some hands weren't raised and I’m happy that you haven’t had any problems recently, but at least some of us have and because we are human we all are prone to worry about them - be they really big problems or in between problems or problems that actually aren't really much problems at all.  

With that in mind, let me share with you an Erma Bombeck story I've used before... but it’s just too good not to use again.   It’s a prime example of how easy it is to worry about things that are a complete waste of time to worry about.  It is about a little boy named Donald and he was not particularly looking forward to his first day of school. 

My name is Donald. I don't know anything. I have new underwear, a loose tooth, and I didn't sleep last night because I'm worried. What if a bell rings and a man yells, 'Where do you belong?' and I don't know?  What if the stack of trays in the cafeteria is too tall for me to reach?

What if my loose tooth comes out when we have our heads down and are supposed to be quiet?

Am I supposed to bleed quietly? What if I splash water on my nametag and my name disappears and no one knows who I am?"

I see you smiling, thinking about that the little boy so worried over figments of his overactive imagination.  Yet how many times have you worried only in the end to find out that your worries are like your tummy... if you feed them they just get bigger and bigger.

(to be continued)
 
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