Thoughts for a Difficult Season
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
One of the great understatements of the day is that we are living in a very troublesome time. There are dilemmas everywhere—medical dilemmas, financial dilemmas, social struggles, political polarization, etc. For many of us, it is a season of significant emotional stress and worry. Also, some of us may be struggling with anxiety related issues. I describe anxiety as “worry on steroids”. It’s tough. With that in mind, here are some thoughts about dealing with anxiety. This is not an exhaustive list (we will be communicating more about this as we go through this season). Hopefully, it can serve as a starter kit for those of us who are struggling.
It’s Okay
There are people who think that anxiety or worry are signs of spiritual weakness or failure. After all, in Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
However, there are also plenty of biblical instances in which some spiritual giants describe many emotional struggles (just read Psalms). We live in a broken world and part of this brokenness shows up in our worry and anxiety. We certainly need to be moving toward the admonition Paul gave to Philippians, but most of us just aren’t there yet. In the meantime, we live in a messy world and there is no shame in struggling with worry/anxiety-especially in times like these.
Remember the Resources
Almost all anxiety deals with a ratio between demand and resource. In other words, if the demands of a situation exceed our perceived resources, it will likely result in anxiety. For example, if a conscientious student has a major exam and has not prepared, the demands of the exam exceeds an individual’s knowledge (or resources) and one will likely be anxious. However, if one is prepared, they will have the resources to meet the demands of the exam and anxiety will be reduced. We are living in a demanding season and it is very easy to focus on those demands and lose sight of our resource.
Our ultimate resource is the great and glorious God of the universe and He has promised us that he will be with us and for us as we go through these demanding times. It will not be easy, but we won’t ever be alone. So the advice would be to stay in touch with God through prayer, scripture (once again, read Psalms or the gospel of John), stay in touch with Christian friends, etc. It is not “magic”, but it will make a difference.
Back to the Basics
Don’t ignore taking care of “normal” things we need to do to stay healthy—eat right, get the sleep you need, get some exercise (just walk around the block some), possibly cut back on caffeine, talk with friends, etc. One specific piece of advice—don’t watch the news too much—especially late night news. In fact, you might turn off the TV and simply be quiet for thirty minutes before you go to bed.
Hopefully, this has been helpful. We will be sharing additional thoughts about these types of issues in the future. In the meantime, please feel free to call one of our pastors or staff if the struggle is feeling too overwhelming, or if you’d like someone to pray with you. Their cell numbers are listed below.
With love and prayers,
Joe Scruggs