How will I ever get through this – at the end of my rope

ANXIETY…it’s a word so prevalent among our society that even hearing it brings anxiety! It causes us to come to the end of our rope and ask, “How will I ever get through this?”. People are suffering from debilitating panic attacks, insomnia, lack of appetite, and much more. If you’re not suffering from it, chances are you know someone who is. People are tired, weary, and burdened from emotions that are a natural part of how our bodies and minds respond to excitement and/or danger.

If your team just won the Super Bowl, your house is on fire, or you’re reacting to someone choking, then you’re experiencing natural responses the body goes through. Adrenaline and dopamine…these are built-in and released into our system as we make choices and respond to life’s circumstances.

The problem lies in our sin and pride, and allowing ourselves to elevate our emotions to the place of controlling our lives. That’s when the body receives too much pent-up chemicals with no way to release them. There’s no balance, no outlet, no healthy or natural way to get out the things that are being stuffed in or locked down. Now, there can be triggers to cause anxiety in life. In my experience, however, the consistent struggle with being overwhelmed with anxiety is due to a deep-seated issue with pride.

How will I ever get through this – the problem of PRIDE

Pride comes in all shapes and sizes within our hearts. For many, pride takes on the face of being loud and proud. Some bully who thinks he’s the toughest kid on the block, the high school football star whose type-A personality struts down the hallway (ironically and likely strutting his insecurities with it), or the highly motivated executive who boasts about his numbers to the rest of the team – mere middlemen in his eyes. Pride comes in another form, though.

There’s the subtle form of pride that is more difficult to see. It tries to control what other people think about us. If you think about it, we spend a lot of our time worrying about people, circumstances, or things that either haven’t happened yet, or likely will not. To be frank…it’s all about us. At the core of it all, we are worried about ourselves and what is happening or will happen to us, not the people we should be loving or serving.

You can’t do it on your own

If we’re ever to get through being burdened by our anxiety, we must first understand that we can’t do it on our own. We have to acknowledge that anxiety is a normal emotion that has been allowed (by us) to run rampant in our minds until it has been elevated into something it was never meant to be. Our choices should lead our emotions…those emotions were never created or meant to lead us. This means that we’re in control of our choices and what we do with our thoughts. Just read this verse that many of us know all too well, yet don’t put into practice:

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

The battle is in the mind. Read that again. If you’re asking the question, “will I ever get through this?”, you’re asking the wrong question. The Q&A should be HOW, and it starts with what you do with what is happening in your mind. That’s the secret. Now, I’m not sure where you are in your life when it comes to faith, religion, or God. I do believe in a God who created us, sustains us, loves us, and makes a way for us to get through the deepest valleys of life – including an over-anxious life.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

How will I ever get through this – Look up!

I also know that He doesn’t discriminate, and he loves each and every person who struggles with their emotions. When you’re there alone in your room awake at 3:00am, wanting to escape the crowds, or the panic attack hits you like a hammer, just know that there is hope. Look up! God knows and sees you right where you are. He wants you to trust that He’s in control, so you don’t have to be. He wants to see balance restored in your mind and life so you never again struggle with allowing anxiety to control you. This is manageable, beatable, and doable. One day at a time, one decision at a time.

Remember that anxiety isn’t a person. Don’t build it up into the notion that “you are what you feel”, or “you’re nothing more than your emotions”. God doesn’t think that, and you shouldn’t either. Also remember that you’re not alone. We’re in this together, and anxiety can be a normal emotion that happens in the right place at the right time for good reasons. So…how will I ever get through this, you ask? You can live a full and happy life without worrying about tomorrow. Remember this verse that talks about God’s provision, protection, and love for each of us who are trying to overcome our issue with anxiety of out balance in our lives:

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7