I wanted to make it all OK.
The problem is that it wasn’t.
I was doing all that I knew to do, and it wasn’t working. We were fighting together as a family, yet there was no formula. There was no set pattern to success. There wasn’t an “I’m out of here” option, because it was someone we loved.
One morning I tried to pray, but I couldn’t sit still long enough. My legs matched my anxious thoughts as I paced the carpet.
Jesus, help me.
Over the past few years, I’ve been on a “Come With Me” journey. I’ve discovered that every day and every situation holds an invitation, as we follow Jesus.
Was I following Him?
Not really. I was following worry, which led me to angst, which invited me to despair. I was following anxious thoughts, which produced a hundred different scenarios—none of them good. I was following expert opinions. I was following Facebook groups, which offered help, but also fueled my greatest fears about this particular battle.
But was I following Jesus?
Where might He lead, if I accepted His invitation to walk this hard valley with me?
In Luke 4, a troubled man is tormented. Jesus sees beyond his anxious thoughts to the man beneath. He speaks in authority, muzzling the brokenness within. The man accepted Jesus’ invitation, and it changed where he lived—which was in darkness.
While I may not identify with this man’s story completely, I know what it is for anxious feelings to storm in. Jesus doesn’t shy away from our anxious thoughts. He looks beyond the outward symptoms to see us individually.
He stills our disquieting thoughts.
In Luke 5, I hear Jesus reaching out to this man, and I also hear him reaching out to me with a similar invitation: “Don’t beat yourself up with anxious thoughts. We’ve got this.”
How does it change us when we say yes to that invitation? That morning, it changed the course of my anxious thoughts.
Jesus, you love this one even more than I do. Give me wisdom when I run out of my limited supply. Pour out peace over my heart as we walk this hard road together. I’m reaching for your hand, Jesus.
If you are struggling with anxious thoughts, your Savior sees you. The fact that you struggle with anxious thoughts doesn’t push Him away. There’s an invitation waiting—just for you. Listen to it, and allow it to redirect your thoughts, your day, and even your life.
“Don’t beat yourself up, sis, with those anxious thoughts. We’ve got this.”
Grab that invitation, and see where it leads you as you follow Jesus. {eoa}
Suzanne Eller (Suzie) has served Proverbs 31 Ministries for 10 years. She’s an author, international speaker and Bible teacher, top 100 Christian women’s blogger and popular media guest. She loves nothing more than watching God work in the heart of a woman.
This article originally appeared at traciemiles.com.
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