Aug 19, 2013

Put Fear in Its' Place



The anxiety has been building all week. I feel it in my bones. The more I want to share with you the tighter my stomach becomes. I want to run and hide, I want to stay away from the truth.

Fear grips us all at some point. For me it usually occurs after a sequence of events and I begin to feel it physically at first. My heart races, thoughts run wild and my head feels like it's spinning out of control. I begin to envision my husband leaving me, our family breaking apart, or someone close to me dying.

Why does this happen?

I take a deep breath, step back and review my actions to find the root of this fear. What have I been doing lately to cause my mind to become a battlefield?

I've been sharing my personal story with the world and living out my God-Sized Dream of encouraging other women.

I've been adjusting quite well to our move and God has been opening many doors that I didn't know existed.

Our family is spending quality time together and the broken pieces of our pasts are being healed.

I'm joining with other women to spread the gospel online and in my new community.

Our lives are becoming normal.

And then it hits me.

Satan does not like restoration. He hates when we are happy, settled and thankful. He wants to be in the middle of our beautiful mess making it worse. Those moments when I rejoice in wonder and gratefulness is when he slips in and feed me the lies I fear the most.

"You are nothing Sarah, this won't last."

"The women you are connecting with do not really value you."

"Does your husband really love you?"

"She's just saying that to be nice, she really doesn't care about your pain."

"Shouldn't you always have your guard up? You never know when something will fall apart."

Then I'm reminded of God's warning:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1Peter 5:8

He's walking in circles around me waiting for the right moment to destroy the fragile places where my heart is being rebuilt.

I take a deep breath and wipe away the tears from my tired eyes. I begin to say verses in my head, scribble them on bits of paper or speak them out loud.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand delivers me.
Psalm 138:7


These words among many others help me deal with the anxiety that used to crush my spirit. I hang onto  promises made long ago and it helps mend the places where my heart has broken many times.

Then I remember the lies are just that, lies. I do not have to be prisoner of them any longer.

I can take them to the footsteps of Jesus and let go.



How do you deal with anxiety? Are there certain verses or quotes that help you through those times when your mind becomes a battlefield? 

8 comments:

  1. Deuteronomy 31:8 - "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Knowing that God is in my future, He has gone ahead and knows what I will face, knowing that He is in my past, my present, and my future is so comforting! I know my path will likely be hard, full of trial and crap, but He will never let go of my hand!!! I will still fear, because I fail to live out His commands perfectly, but I submit that fear to Him and pray for peace. We do care for you, Sarah! Don't ever believe those lies that we don't :)

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  2. Thank you Vanessa, you have embraced me with open arms and I feel so lucky to be a part of an amazing community with you. And thank you for the verse, it's perfect!!

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  3. Dear Sarah
    Yes, that enemy is not happy if he does not pester our thoughts with his lies. But, I love how you resist him everytime with the truth of our Lord Jesus!
    Blessings XX
    Mia

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  4. The father of lies hates when we gather together and share our hearts, our stories, because when we do, we expose the lies for what they are....his same old, nothing new way of causing division. And when we expose it to the Light, His truth swallows the lies and we become strong in Him. And that has to be absolutely terrifying to the one who seeks to destroy us.

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  5. Amen Kimberly! Wow, maybe you should write a post about overcoming fear! Thank you for reading today.

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  6. Thank you Mia!

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  7. I love this. I am so exhausted I don't have anything of consequence to add but I am thankful to have found your blog and look forward to following it!

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  8. Thanks so much Emily, I'm glad you found me too!

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