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You\u2019re driving to work one day when the thought crosses your mind, Did I close the garage door? You begin to mentally retrace your steps and don\u2019t recall with any degree of certainty that you actually did close it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>You probably did and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>what if you didn\u2019t? You feel the anxiety beginning to build as you imagine someone walking into your open house and stealing your computers, electronics, jewelry, and anything else deemed valuable. Just then, the person in the car to your right starts to drift into your lane. You clutch the steering wheel tightly as you swerve left\u00a0<\/span>slightly, lay on your horn, and hit your brakes to avoid being sideswiped.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A surge of adrenaline pulses through your body putting you on high alert. Your heart is pounding, your mind is racing, your palms are sweating . . . but you\u2019re okay. You take a deep breath and heave a sigh of relief as you think, Whew\u2014that was close!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Anxiety is a normal part of life\u2014it goes with being human and living in our high-stress world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Normal anxiety keeps us busy.\u00a0 It reminds us to pay our bills and pushes us to pursue success. In its pure form, anxiety can serve a useful purpose, but anxiety is only normal up to a point.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>As long as anxious feelings are short-lived and don\u2019t become excessive, they won\u2019t interfere with healthy living.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n However, anxiety becomes destructive when it throws people into a state of distress and weighs them down to such a degree that they cannot function normally. Proverbs accurately paints a picture of anxiety:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnxiety weighs down the heart.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n (Proverbs 12:25)<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n Based on the Bible when the Israelites find themselves in captivity, they are described as having: \u00a0<\/span>\u201c. . . an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing,\u00a0<\/span>and a despairing heart.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/em>(Deuteronomy 28:65)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Anxiety inaccurately judges reality. <\/span>It forgets the past and fears the future. <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Anxiety\u00a0fails to remember how you\u2019ve made it through past difficulties and focuses instead on potential threats in the future. Anxiety leaves you with a fight or flight response in the present, vigilantly preparing for possible outcomes or avoiding fearful situations altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n The Lord, however, sees all things clearly. He says, \u201cI make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say,<\/em> \u2018My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please\u2019\u201d<\/em> (Isaiah 46:10).<\/span><\/p>\n God has brought you through the past and holds your future in His hands. And in your present struggle with anxiety, He is with you. The Lord is at work in your life\u2014your anxiety is not without purpose. God longs to be your refuge and help you walk through your fears and troubles.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGod is our refuge and strength,\u00a0<\/span>an ever-present help in trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n (Psalm 46:1)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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