One doesn’t have to scroll through Facebook for very long before seeing posts that either incite fear and anxiety or at least talk about it.
I get fear.
I get the anxiety that comes from fear.
I’ve dealt with anxiety. I don’t mean the normal day to day anxiety, I mean I’ve actually had anxiety attacks and they’re overwhelming. Years ago I use to take medicine for them (if you’ve ever read my post about postpartum, bless you, you understand).

If you’ve ever been unsure if satan has come knocking on your door (trust me, he has) then you’d know if you have ever had an anxiety attack. Because it feels like a personal attack. Y’all, I have gotten anxiety by seeing random phone numbers on my caller ID, go ahead and laugh . . . I’ll wait. Then again, to that I say, there are things that don’t phase me that would probably render another person incapable of breath. I’m still tough, too. We all have “stuff”.

When we have a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, while we may not know what tomorrow brings, we do have confidence that we don’t fight our battles alone. That’s how I “get it” AND “get through it”. He’s the only reason I’ve managed to make it this far. In any facet of my life.

Look.

We can’t hide when we’re scared because we’re going to become more afraid. Many things do bring us to our knees (and they should) because we should be going to God before anything (in praise and thanksgiving, not just asking for stuff) but when the fear threatens to overwhelm us we ought to drop to our knees before the Father . . . so we can give it to Him fully. Yet for many, sometimes we tend to allow it to bring us to our knees by causing us to buckle at the knees, maybe our legs turn to Jell-o, and we’re left shaking under the overwhelming sense of impending doom.

Don’t run. Don’t cower. Don’t lose heart.

If you’re going to face that fear, then face it!

If you’re going to face that fear, then don’t run from it!

If you’re going to face that fear then you just march yourself right on up to it and just give it a word; THE WORD!

If you’re going to face that fear, then do it!

If you’re going to face that fear, then don’t let it control you!

If you’re going to face that fear, then give it to God.

If you’re going to face that fear, then see what His word has to say!

If you’re going to face that fear, then let Jesus lead the way.

Fear is a liar! You tell fear, “Back to hell with you, fear!”

God is truth! You tell God, “You lead. I’ll follow.”

I don’t know what causes your anxiety. Some people have to take medicine all their lives (there are chemical imbalances in some people that warrant some medication needs) and there traumatic events that happen and there are other things like, I don’t know, like . . . LIFE.

For me, as I mentioned above, how I’ve actually gotten anxiety before by seeing numbers that I don’t recognize on my phone – well that’s because my anxiety can come from fear . . . and yes, fear is a liar. Again. Reiterate that. But it’s from fear. Fear of the unknown or what’s going to happen . . . 48 years ago my best friend was born. But 7 years ago a “number that I didn’t recognize on my phone” was the phone call to confirm that “my person”, my best friend, had died. He was was my best friend, the person I told everything to . . . even talked to about my anxiety . . . so imagine how that day went. So yeah, sometimes I get anxiety about those random numbers on the phone.

Sometimes I get anxiety from fear of failure when I think I’m going to screw everything up (I’m more concerned with screwing up everything for everyone else instead of myself). I get anxiety from fear of rejection , loss, inability and things like that. Fear tells me that it’s real. Fear makes everything appear real and makes me believe that everything is going to be bad and that there’s nothing good for me. That breaks my heart. That’s extremely hard to think about but our God is faithful and we are better off trusting in Him to fight our battles for us.

Sometimes when I have long weeks I like to meditate over Psalm 121 and there’s a song on the radio called “Praise You In This Storm” But like the Psalm, you find the words, “Where does my hope come from”. . . where does your hope come from? My hope comes from the maker of heaven and earth, He is the giver of hope, He is the giver of courage, He is the giver of love, He is the giver of mercy, He is the giver of rest and He is the giver of grace.

Find your time with Him today, my friends. Sit down with Him and read your Bible, see what His Word says to you, pray and meditate over the verses that He gives you. The time you spend with Him, that’s where your battles will be won, this is where your strength is going to be found, this is from where your hope will be given to you, this a means of Him building your courage up (and put on that armor, girl), this is where His words will come to be like a balm to our weary heart and this is where our peace rests . . . right at His feet.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7