Hearing about how we can trust God to take care of us, that we need not worry and everything will be alright is helpful. But it won’t remove worry and anxiety completely from our lives. Acting upon those truths, and stepping out in trust will however begin to.
As we grow in peace instead of worry we’ll discover that God actually often leads us into situations that we would previously have avoided because of our fears. We grow in peace as we step into these harder places, because it’s in doing “hard” things; moving forward, facing challenges and learning to trust despite our anxiety that deepens the reality of God’s peace in our lives.
The more we face and embrace challenges, stretch ourselves and put actions to our trust the greater our peace and freedom from worry and anxiety will become. Primarily because, “Information alone will not bring about the transformation of the whole person. We may read book after book, hear talk after talk, listen to sermons – maybe even read the Bible – but still remain just as anxious as we ever were before. There is no way to get the peace of God from our head to the rest of our body besides trusting God enough to directly confront our greatest fear“. (John Ortberg – The Me I Want To Be)
A relationship with God doesn’t mean everything is going to be without pressure or difficult, anxiety causing situations. God dosen’t want or plan for us to avoid life, but instead to face and embrace every challenge, opportunity and circumstance, because He knows it will grow peace, trust and faith within us. Some amazing things are going to happen as we step out, but there are also going to be hard and even disappointing times too. However its our choice whether we trust and move in peace and embrace fullness of life or we shrink back in worry about all the things that might happen and fail to live the life we could live, if we were only less fearful.
Today if you want to worry less and experience greater peace in your life, then I encourage you to put some wheels on your faith. Move forward and face your fears, step out and trust God a little more, challenge the negative mindsets and see how your thoughts and subsequently your actions will begin to change as you confront your fears. Don’t worry today, pray, speak what God says about you and take action instead.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” ( 1 Peter 5:7)
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” (Philippians 4:6-9 TPT)
Prayer: Lord thank you that you are always with me and that I can know your peace. I choose to put off worry and anxiety and to put on peace instead. Help me to follow where you lead, to confront my fears and to grow as I do today. In Jesus name Amen