Feeling anxiety?
Here's what to do...

If you're feeling anxiety today, you have nothing to be ashamed of. We're living in a time when fear and uncertainty are at pandemic levels.

You're not immune if you're a Christian. We're subject to the same influences as everyone else, but the good news is we have tools to fight back with that other people lack.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ cautioned his followers not to let anxiety rule over them:

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

And yet, we can't always pray it away, can we? Anxiety is a strong force, and I suspect Satan plays some part in it too. There's nothing he likes better than to get Christians agitated and afraid.

Let's look at what's going on.

Feeling anxiety: Is Jesus' peace possible?

Here's the thing. When we're feeling anxiety, we need a peace that's not only powerful but also renewable. A week at a tropical resort isn't going to cut it. Neither is cruising around in your luxury SUV playing classical music.

We need a soul-deep peace so mighty it shuts off all the racket like a light switch. We need the kind of soothing state that transports us to the realm of the true Prince of Peace. The peace Jesus gives isn't what the world gives, like meditation or an hour of yoga

The difference with Jesus' brand of peace is it comes with something divine: love. You can't generate this peace yourself. You surrender to it and let it overflow you. You don't struggle to tune the world out; you enter Christ's rest and become aware of him and only him.

Jesus' love is warm and accepting, comforting and safe. You can be yourself and he loves you just as you are. No pressure, no expectations, no stress. You don't have to perform for Jesus. You just receive.

Of the millions of Christians living today, how many are experiencing that deep-felt peace? Not enough!

Let's see why.

5 ways to sabotage yourself

Uncontrollable stressors are bad enough, but we add to them with self-sabotage. Here are some bad habits we can break, with the support of the Holy Spirit:

1. Doomscrolling: Relentlessly checking out news and gossip sites to keep up-to-the-second on current events is an unnecessary agitator. Have you ever tried to remember what the news crisis was a year ago? A month ago? Everything is pitched as a crisis nowadays to get your clicks. Don't be manipulated. Kick the addiction to being a news junkie.

2. Social media dependency: For single people, viewing social media posts about married friends and relatives and their vacations, dining out, and kids can be depressing. Following celebrities is, I'm sorry, a total waste of your time. And getting in feuds on social media is juvenile. Learn to dial back or quit it cold turkey, as I did. I'm still alive and much, much happier.

3. Nonstop texting: Is your phone your master? Are you texting dozens or even hundreds of times a day? Do you need to know your BFF had a booger? Do you need to comment on everything or to comment on your friend's comments? This is junior-high stuff. Give yourself more free time to do something relaxing. Cut back on texting.

4. Multi-tasking: Want to know the truth? Your mind can only deal with one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a fallacy, because our brains are able to switch from one thought to another at blinding speed, but nobody can think two thoughts at once, including you. If you have work to do, shut off the music, TV, or phone and you'll actually get it done faster and with less stress because you'll be laser-focused.

5. Peer pressure: Surprisingly, this is one of the key obstacles to peace. If you're worried sick about fitting in or whether your friends will make fun of you, you probably need to find a more accepting group of friends. Being dependent on what others think is a sign of low self-esteem. God created you as an individual, not a clone. Ask him for the courage to be yourself.

Yep, I recognize I'm not a member of the "connected" generation, but I'm less anxious because I'm not. You may think all these things are crucial to your happiness, but one of the reasons you're feeling anxiety is because they're polluting your calmness.

Look at it this way. You wouldn't dump a bucket of mud down a well you're about to drink from. Your peace is that well. The activities above are buckets of mud.

The key to Jesus' peace

Once again, how can we stop feeling anxiety and find peace instead?

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27, ESV)

Notice Jesus said he gives it. You don't have to work for it and you don't have to earn it. This is possible only through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Let him run your mind, not messengers with hidden agendas.

How can you do that? In the book of Isaiah, the prophet who talked the most about the coming Savior, you'll find the key to Christ's peace:

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

The word "stayed" is variously translated as "dependent," "standing," "resting," and "leaning." I personally prefer the word "focused."

When you're feeling anxiety and you focus on Jesus, you're fixed on the solution instead of the problem. Problems shrink when you compare them to an all-powerful God. But this is not a ploy to escape reality. Jesus is the ultimate reality.

It's true that most of what we worry about never happens, and especially when it comes to politics, we can all think of so-called "crises" going back ten or 20 years, and none of them really affected us. Of those that did, we managed to survive.

Trust in God. When you make him and his peace your first priority, you'll learn to ignore anything that threatens that. Yes, it takes discipline, but with the Holy Spirit's power in you, you can reduce feeling anxiety and increase your inner peace.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes anxiety needs the attention of a medical professional. It's always a wise idea to discuss your anxiety with your healthcare provider.