Anxiety

The Rest of the Story…

November 14, 2019 by Ellen 2 Comments

I realized this morning that the great words of advice I gave last week – about alleviating anxiety – left us all in a lurch. I was worried about flying, and knew I needed to calm down. I suggested releasing our anxieties to Jesus and resting in Him. Sounds like a good plan, right?

When the plane was taking off (and I was anxious) I began to wonder: What does it mean to rest in Jesus? And, HOW are we supposed to do that?

Let’s flesh this out today, dig a little deeper, and see what God’s word says about rest.

“The LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,…” 2 Samuel 7:1b NASB

“I will give you rest from all your enemies…” 2 Samuel 7:11b NASB

In 2 Samuel 7, we find David at home. Saul has died. David no longer has to run in fear of his life. There are no impending battles with the enemies of Israel. God has given David rest from his enemies. The original Hebrew word for rest is munnāḥ, which means to settle down, to pause, to be free of conflict.

[tweetthis]To rest in Jesus is to pause and settle down with Him.[/tweetthis]

For me, it also means to ask Him what it is that is causing conflict in my soul. I thought it was flying. I’m not the best air traveler. I don’t love being miles and miles (and miles!) above the earth in a silver metal tube that can suddenly drop to the earth with no warning. Can I get an amen?

Digging deeper, Holy Spirit nudged me and helped me realize that my conflict was not my fear of flying. I just plain didn’t want to leave my home and my hubby. I am quite the homebody since retirement. My home is my happy and safe place; I am content here. The conflict was not wanting to leave. By pausing to rest with Jesus, I realized it wasn’t about flying, or missing flights or falling ill on the trip; it was about me getting out of my comfort zone.

What is causing you conflict and making you anxious? Take it to Jesus. Rest in Him.

How? Let’s look in Matthew to find out:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NASB

Jesus tells us to come to Him and HE will give us rest. The original Greek word here is anapaúsō. It means to give rest, quiet and refresh; to cause someone to take a break from their activities in order to be refreshed.

Jesus Himself refreshes us. We need only stop our activities and spend time with Him, in His Word and in prayer.

Stop right now and rest in Jesus. Stop the conflicts in your heart, mind and life; stop your busyness. Lean in to Him. You’ll be rested, I guarantee!

Grace be with you,

Releasing Anxiety

November 7, 2019 by Ellen 4 Comments

As I’m writing this, I’m preparing to leave home for five days. I’ll be heading to the Hope*Writers Conference in North Carolina. It will be the first time I’ve flown alone since 2014. I have low level anxiety that is threatening to bust out of my seams. What if’s are running rampant in my brain. What if: I miss my connecting flight, get sick while I’m away from home, don’t pack enough underwear (at my age, the struggle is real!). In other words, anxiety about ALL. THE. THINGS.

Like a mama soothing her fussy baby, I sensed my sweet Jesus reminding me ever so gently that He has His eye on me.

Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Matthew 6:26 CSB

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT

God cares for me, He has His eye on me and He’s holding me in His mighty hands. My part is to turn over my anxieties to Him. Humph. Easier said than done. So I have to ask myself “How can I release all this STUFF to God?”

I believe the lesson He’s whispering into my anxious soul is this: Rest in Me. Release your anxieties to Me, and rest in Me. Cast all your cares on Me.

How, Lord, how?

Remember.

Remember all those memorial stones I’ve piled up through the years, marking God’s faithfulness. Remember all those times He has provided, under circumstances that were much worse than this. Remember His love and care, and that His eye on me.

Remember, knowing that

He will bring peace to my heart
He is in control
He cares for me.

I can make the choice to remember how my God has cared for me in the past. I know God will do it again. I have Christ in me, walking with me, protecting me. Always.

And when I forget and begin fretting anew, I make the choice again.

Rest. Release. Remember. Repeat.

[tweetthis]God cares for the smallest birds in the sky, He will surely keep His loving and protective eye on me. [/tweetthis]

Are you distressed or worried about every little thing today, friend? Rest in Him. Make the moment by moment choice to release your anxieties to God. And remember, He cares for you!

Grace be with you,