My dear sisters, oh how my heart aches for you as you face your fears and worries in our uncertain times. I would love to sit down with a cup of tea to talk and pray together and share the truths we find in God’s Word to carry us through.
Even though the circumstances can generate fears and worries, happily they don’t have to control or consume us because God gives us a plan in His Word to deal with them. He wants to take what could be a horribly devastating time in our lives and turn it into a beautiful season of growing in Him.
Have you learned this truth? “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
What might be some practical steps toward this end? What does that look like in real life?
When the Thought Comes
The fearful thought comes, but instead of thinking about it, you choose to praise the Lord with verses like these:
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Psalm 63:3
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. Psalm 86:12
. . . Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Revelation 4:8
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:12
Or the worries jump back into your mind, and you comfort your heart with these verses:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34
Persevere
Keep putting Scripture into your mind to replace the negative thoughts. You can use the same verse over and over, or you could use a variety of them if you know enough. If you have the verses memorized, that’s the easiest. But if you don’t, read them. If you write verses on cards and read them over each time the worry comes, you will soon have the verses memorized. You might need to say them out loud to have them overtake the negative thoughts.
What Is the Lesson?
Your struggle might not be with fear or worry, but God has something He wants you to learn during this time. Are you asking Him what it is? Then are you moving in that direction? If you are, you will be taking your thoughts captive and bringing them into the obedience of Christ. That is truly the power of “. . . Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
We have the “opportunity” to embrace fears, worries, and concerns. I can say the words, “God is in control. I trust God and will rest in Him.” However, if my mind continues rolling those fears around in it, if I play “what if” scenarios in my thoughts, if I talk about worries all the time, then I should evaluate whether those words are true in my heart, or if I am just saying them. This is not an optional thing. We are commanded to “take no thought…”. If you need to be strong with yourself, rebuke yourself.
May you walk through this time in our world’s history and in your own life history consumed with Christ rather than consumed with self. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).