Hope. Is hope possible when fear and anxiety grip you? Is peace available to you when a storm is about to toss you overboard? Yes! But the discovery of hope and peace come in the most unusual way: Jesus calls us to lean into the anxiety and fear, hold onto His love, and have a heart of gratitude. (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18)
“Be joyful always… Give thanks in all circumstances.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:4-6)
Rejoice in your suffering because it produces perseverance, character, and hope. (Romans 5:3-5)
Jesus asks us to let go of the anxiety and fear no matter the circumstances; to rejoice in suffering. Sounds like an impossible task. Does He understand that what He asks doesn’t make sense to the human heart? Think about it. At the moment the boat was about to capsize on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus says to his disciples, “You of little faith. Why are you so afraid?”
Uhhh…maybe those large waves and the torrential downpour that are about to capsize the boat?
Finding joy, hope, and thanksgiving is not often our first response when our boat is about to capsize, when we are experiencing intense anxiety and fear. Giving thanks to Him when those anxious thoughts rise seems unnatural. It almost feels as if the Father is asking us to live in an oxymoron.
Moving From Anxiety to Thanksgiving
Let’s be honest. When we are plagued with intense anxiety our first response is not a spirit of thanksgiving. We usually try to eliminate whatever is causing the anxiety, distract ourselves, and seek control over the situation or our thoughts. With our mind racing in a million directions, we frantically search for a way out of the pain. We try to establish security. We hope for a sense that everything will be okay.
Yet, it seems Jesus is telling us not to run from the anxiety but to look it dead in the eye and in that moment to choose to rejoice in the goodness of the Father instead. He asks us to lean into the only thing more powerful than the anxiety – to lean into HIM, the one whose heart is love.
In the verses above it seems that when the anxiety starts, each verse calls us to run to His heart. It is as if He wants to do something with the anxiety if we offer it to Him with rejoicing… with a sacrifice of praise.
Are you having a difficult time seeing the storm in your life as something you can rejoice in? Do you feel alone in your struggle to beat the anxiety that beats you up like the harsh waves of the sea? Maybe your storm is so intense you need someone to help guide you into hope. Let one of Renew’s trained professional counselors join you in your journey to reach the other side. It is easy to get started. Give us a call today at (602) 633-4032.
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