Anxious Endurance

 

 

 

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:12

 

Usually when I think about exercising and using “self-control: I think of things like food, words, sex, money, and friends. These are all good things – in moderation. Today, I realized that managing our anxious thoughts also requires self-control.

In these days of COVID-19 (though I am optimistic that we are almost through lock-down) many women are experiencing more anxiety. This is not the kind of anxiety that we can dismiss but neither is it completely unmanageable for the Christian.

A great motivating factor to exercising self-control is the reward for our efforts. An anxious woman is blessed with peace and joy when she gains control and lives according to God’s design.

Many women today think they are self-controlled if they are not over-eating or committing adultery. In these cases we compare our degree of self-control to that which the world displays. When we are better than the world, we see it as good.

We all know that the world is not our standard, Christ is. Yet, in the face of COVID 19 we allow Facebook and Twitter to educate and inform us while at the same time increasing our anxiety! This is only mildly different than allowing prime time TV news to do it!

The first act of self-control is limiting the anxiety producing articles and advice we get from social media. People we know and love disagree with us about how things should be handled. Those in authority seem to have taken more than they were given. And we are still concerned (OK, many are worried) about getting the illness or someone they love getting it.

How on earth is a woman of God to sleep at night with all this going on?!

The most important thing for us and those we teach is to start with a high view of God and understanding of His Word.

Here are some simple helps, not necessarily cures, for the level of anxiety many are experiencing now:

• Stay off of social media the last few hours before we go to bed (or just get off it altogether if you know it’s the problem Psalm 119:37). Staying informed is good, news broadcasts and newspapers are good, unless the anxiety they produce is not healthy for you.
• Read the Bible and think on those things in the world that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).
• Remember the LORD, His faithfulness to us in the past that will remind us that He will be just as faithful in the future (Lamentations 3:22-23).
• Remember His calling on our lives, wife, mom, daughter. Continue to be responsible where you are. Change what you can and trust the LORD our God for the rest (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• For some this may bring some stress, but the truth is that at the end of the day the only One we have to please is the Lord God Himself so we have a responsibility to speak the truth in love any opportunity we get. The effect of our words are not as important as our obedience in speaking them. It is God’s responsibility to change whom He will. (Ephesians 4:15-16, Deuteronomy 11:13-15, Psalm 119:105)
• Last, if we have sinned in our responses and our anxious moments, taking it out on others or lying to make a point, we need to recognize it as sin, confess, and repent (1 John 1:8-9).

You will be amazed at the peace these things can bring if it is not your regular habit.

For a little added incentive: From Isaiah 26:3, “You (God) keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”