How Faith Can Help You Overcome Fear and Anxiety
Do you trust God? Do you trust Him enough to allow Him to develop your faith while overcoming your anxiety and fears?
Personally, trusting God and allowing Him to develop my faith while overcoming a lot of anxiety and fears has been a lifelong journey. Has it been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Yes. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), in their November 2023 report, Stress in America 2023: A Nation Recovering from Collective Trauma1, cited the ongoing issues concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflict, inflation, and racism are weighing heavy across all adult age categories. “Collective trauma” is now the popular term that describes the widespread post-traumatic effects on mental and physical health of the American people. You and I, our family, our friends, our neighbors. Many are experiencing the effects of “collective trauma.
So, it would not surprise me if there was a large percentage of Christians who do not trust God and a larger percentage that certainly do not allow Him to develop their faith while overcoming their anxieties and fears.
It is because of my faith in God that I have overcome my fears and anxious thoughts. The answer to overcoming fear and anxiety can be found in the Word of God. And I will go there, but first I want to share a personal story with you.
A few years ago, while on a lady’s beach trip, I was invited by a friend to go parasailing. She had done it before and said it would be fun. Not really realizing what I was getting myself into, I agreed to go. Sitting on the beach watching other people soar above the ocean has always looked fun. It never occurred to me that I could or would ever participate in the sport of parasailing. Sometimes it is easier to watch other people have fun than to move through all the fears and anxieties and have fun myself. Can you relate?
There was another group ahead of us, two ladies and a little girl. As I watched them get harnessed in, whisked away, feet dipped in the ocean, soft landing, I was thinking to myself, if that little girl can do this, I can do this too.
In those brief moments between the other group landing and me being fitted with the harness, anxiety and sheer panic hit me to the point I was crying. I tried to get my other friends to take my place. No one else wanted to be “shark bait”. They kept encouraging me to do this thing. So, snared by the words of my mouth, I am the one participating while our other friends chose to observe.
Next thing I know, I am being hooked up and whisked away. I screamed the first few seconds of leaving the boat. Next to me is my dear friend coaching me, letting me know everything is going to be okay. Almost immediately, I noticed that the further away we got from the boat, all the noises – my very loud thoughts telling me how awful this experience will be, the boat engine, the waves of the ocean, my beautiful friends on the boat cheering me on – just slowly faded away. Peace enveloped me. It was a surreal moment.
I finally eased the death grip on the harness and relaxed and enjoyed the view. Enjoyed the peacefulness. Enjoyed the beauty. Realizing that what I was experiencing was exactly what I needed. All the anxiety I had a few moments before was now gone. The peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, was guarding my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus. I was not thinking of the million things that could go wrong and how we literally could be “shark bait.” After the captain dipped us in the ocean and we had a soft landing, I literally felt sheer excitement and it was evident.
The next morning, I woke up with an epiphany. I am a visual learner and sometimes God must physically show me things to get His point across. This was one of those moments. My experience parasailing is how I am to approach all issues, problems, situations for the rest of my life – with a bird’s eye view and to get above the problem, to rise above my concerns. This is where there is peace, this is where you can hear the voice of the Lord more clearly. This is where you can see the whole picture, not just the problem at hand.
I also realized how vitally important it is to surround yourself with friends that are going to cheer you on, help you move past your fears and anxiety. Regardless of who you are, fear and anxiety can be two powerful emotions which can literally paralyze you. God knows this. He created you. He has more patience with you than you can ever imagine. He wants you to learn more about Him through His Word and through others leading and guiding you.
When you discover to fully trust Him and allow Him to move in your life, He will develop in you a faith that will overcome your fears. When you find those trustworthy friends and allow them to speak into your life, you will find it easier to move through your anxieties and face your fears head on. Yes, I know this is easier said than done.
Just imagine all that you would be missing if you were a spectator of life and not a participant. God created you with a plan and purpose and He wants and needs you to fully participate with the evidence of all the fruits of the Spirit in your life – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There are people in your life that need to see you rise above your circumstances, fully trust in God, and allowing Him to develop your faith while overcoming your anxieties and fears.
I want to close with sharing a few of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. They are beautiful reminders that joy needs to dominate our lives and that prayer and trusting God will lead us to a peace of mind. A secure mind. The mind of Jesus Christ living on the inside of you. When you fully embrace the fact that you have the mind of Christ in you, the peace of God will guard you and guide you. What a feeling of security you get to experience just by trusting God and allowing Him to develop your faith while overcoming your anxieties and fears.
Philippians 4:4-9 (AMP) “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.”
For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].
1 Corinthians 2:16