Overcoming Anxiety – Part 1: Absolutes in the Word

I’ve been prone to anxiety for, well, my whole life. I had kind of just accepted that I’m highly anxious and made friends with it. Through recent circumstances, God reminded me that He came so that I would not only have life, but have it to its fullest (John 10:10) and that living paralyzed with anxiety is far from living it to it’s fullest. I felt God leading me to actually address my anxiety and lay it down at His feet.

I had pinned an image from freshdayahead.com years ago that listed 33 scriptures about fear and anxiety. I found that pin and started studying and meditating on one of those verses each day.

God has revealed incredible and glorious truths and spoke to me in a different way through each verse. However, it didn’t take long for me to start noticing a pattern in these scriptures. Each of them have absolutes; there are no “maybe”s or “if”s, but “will”s and “are”s.

“When you go through deep waters I WILL BE with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty you WILL NOT drown. When you walk through fires of oppression, you WILL NOT be burned up; the flames WILL NOT consume you.” Isaiah 43:2*

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I WILL NOT be afraid for you ARE close beside me. Your rod and staff protect and comfort me. Surely your goodness and unfailing love WILL PURSUE me all the days of my life and I WILL LIVE in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:4,6*

“This is my command, be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God IS with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9*

“Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He WILL GIVE you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33*

*Emphasis mine.

There are absolutes in the Word that we will go through deep waters and have troubling times; it is certain we will encounter them. Jesus even directly stated, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.”  But more importantly, it is absolute that God IS with us in them and He WILL NOT leave us. Jesus finished that statement declaring, “But take heart, because I HAVE overcome the world.”* (John 16:33) Tetelestai! (It is finished!) I hope that you find peace and freedom in the absolute God who is absolutely able and absolutely for you.

 

You can find Overcoming Anxiety parts 2 and 3 here.