Do Not be Anxious…Part 2

If you haven’t read Part 1, I encourage you to go back and give it a read before you continue reading this one!

Anxiety is something real, and it’s something that’s really hard to overcome. We know that the Lord is with us, and that He is in control, and everything is according to His plan. We also know that we don’t need to worry, or be anxious, about anything, because in the end, we know who is in control! But sometimes that just isn’t easy for us to remember. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of all the anxious feelings. Especially in these days.

There is so much anxiety when it comes to COVID-19. Right now, I know the biggest anxiety, and worry, is what are we going to do with our kids during the fall? I have struggled with the idea of sending mine back to school. There is so much unknown, and it’s something I’m honestly struggling with letting go and letting God take control of it.

Joshua 1:9 says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Wow…the Lord commands us to be strong, to be courageous, to not be afraid, to not be discouraged. He commands this of us because we need to rely on the promise that He will be with us wherever we go, whatever we do. We need to fully allow our hearts, and minds, to remember who the Lord is, and that He is in control of everything going on around us, and in our lives. If we decide to send our kids to school, I need to surrender my anxiety to Him. If we decide to homeschool, I need to surrender the anxiety to Him. There isn’t one choice that keeps me from getting anxious, so either way I need to surrender to Him, and remember that He is in control and He will be with my child through school, and with my husband and I as we decide what we want to do. What good will it do if I continue to worry about things? Is it better to surrender things to the Lord, and to not worry, but have the peace of the Lord in my heart, and on my mind?

John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Guys, I love these verses about peace, because they show just how much the Lord wants us to surrender all these feelings of anxiety and worry, and to lean on Him and Him alone! When we believe in the Lord, and we put our trust in Him, we are automatically given the peace that He gives! We have that peace in our hearts, and it’s important that we rely on that! We have this mighty God on our side, that if we are tired, if we are anxious, if we are worried, we can turn to Him, and He will give us rest.

How can we turn to Him? By giving Him control of all our anxious feelings. We need to surrender them all to the Lord. Sometimes that’s hard. I know it’s hard for me because I would rather have things fixed right away, and I would like to fix it. I’d rather spend my time worrying and thinking about it then turning to the Lord and giving it all to Him. Why is that? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s my sinful nature. Maybe it’s because I am afraid of the unknown, and when I turn it over the Lord, that means it’ll be all in His timing. Even though I know that even if I don’t turn it over to Him, it’ll still be in His timing. However, there’s something different about sort of knowing, and KNOWING for sure. The fact that the Lord has our lives planned, and knows every fear, every joy, just everything that is going to happen, brings a comfort that only a believer can understand.

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I fully believe that if we continue to give into our anxieties, and worries, and we continue to not hand them over to the Lord, then we will never understand the plans He has for us. We won’t ever be able to fully feel His peace, and to see all the wonderful things that He has planned for our lives. He knows the plans He has for our lives, and He knows that His plans are so wonderful and joyous, that if we don’t continue to trust in Him, will we ever fully see what He has planned for us? What are we accomplishing with our anxieties? How are we serving the Lord by constantly being fearful?

I want to live a life that is glorifying to Him. I want to live a life where I can tell others to put their trust in Him, and I can believe it for myself. I want to live a life free from anxiety and worry. That is possible for me, and it’s possible for you. All we have to do is surrender and allow the Lord to work in our hearts, and our minds. It may not always be easy, but it’ll be worth it in the end!

God bless you all, and I will see you again soon!