Everyone gets anxious at some point in life, and in today’s world anxiety attacks earlier than ever. According to the CDC, almost 10% of kids aged 3 to 17 were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder between 2016 and 2019 – almost 6 million young people! And this statistic only counts official diagnoses; the real number of kids struggling with anxiety is certainly far higher.
According to Oxford dictionaries, anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Students worry about friends and likes and the future. Adults worry about marriage and kids and finances. The pace of life is faster than ever, and humans were not designed to handle the speed. It’s no wonder that we’re all so stressed out.
Here’s how the anxiety cycle works: something triggers an anxious thought and you immediately stuff it. Avoidance works in the short term, giving you temporary relief from worry. But inevitably it leads to more anxiety in the long term, triggering the cycle all over again.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Overthrow Worry
Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything…” Step 1, then, is to overthrow worry. This does not mean to stuff it, but rather to take authority over it. Recognize anxiety for what it is and get ready to overcome it. Reject its control over your mind and life. Choose not to get stuck in the anxiety cycle.
Replace It with Prayer
Paul continues, “...instead, pray about everything.” Step 2 is to replace anxiety with prayer. The enemy wants you to worry, so turn this tactic of his on its head. Here’s how: instead of letting your worries trigger the anxiety cycle, let them trigger prayer instead!
Verbalize Your Needs
Next, Paul gets specific: “Tell God what you need…” Step 3 is to verbalize your needs. Getting specific with God about what you need can be a great way to calmly and objectively evaluate your anxiety.
Thank God for the Wins
Finally, Paul says to “...thank him for all he has done.” Step 4 is to thank God for the wins in your life. Even in the midst of our scariest trials, there is still so much to be thankful for. When you are overcome with anxious thoughts and feel your worries are too much to bear, refocus on your blessings.
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