We often think that worry and anxiety just happen to us. But the fact is that they result from our thoughts. Thoughts are the source of our worry. If we tend to think negatively, or to catastrophize or to focus on negative things we will grow anxious and sometimes angry. But the Bible says we ought to “dedicate ourselves to thankfulness.” (Colossians 3:21). In other words count your blessings and have an attitude of gratitude. We ought to discipline our minds every day and spend some time thanking God for what went right. As Phillipians 4:8 puts it: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
What you feed grows. Focus on negative things and sure enough anxiety and anger increase and our sense of the negative grows. Focus on positive things and blessings and guess what, we are less anxious overall and our sense of well being grows.
Try it out for 30 Days. Let me know how it goes. The video below features a classic Spiritual: Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel? It list the many people God saved of old and then asks, “And why not every man?” That’s right even you and me. It will be alright. God may not come when you want him but He’s always right on time.
I’ve taken note of times when I feel anxious or anxiety and I realized that most of the time I’ve drawn my own perception of what is to happen in a situation. Sometime I can spend sleepless night outlining all the negative outcomes that are going to happen tomorrow, and tomorrow is not here yet. These days, I’ve been practicing the very topic of this blog. Thanking positive even in the mist of negativity, “thanks for the encouraging boost. Everyday I try to channel my thoughts on the good things I experience in the day. When you get into doing that, the thanks are countless. I now try to surrender all the negative thoughts and anticipate God preparing me for what is to happen tomorrow. So now whether what I thought would happen, actually happens, I just think God for being there and helping me though it. Its a wonderful feeling when you know you are not alone. When its all over you thank and praise God for the experience of that suffering.
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A definite great read…
– Bill Bartmann