Seeing Is Deceiving
<strong><em>So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever - 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT</em></strong>
Dealing with anxiety is a struggle. This constant wrestle with my thoughts and emotions and the physical feelings they bring, it’s very overbearing. The sad thing is, as I speak to people, I hear the same sense of discouragement and anxiety in their voices. I feel their pain. I mean, in the world we’re living in now it’s quite hard not to feel this way. Notice though, I said quite hard - not impossible.
Lately, each day I awake my heart just feels so heavy.
Motivation? Nope.
Discipline? Who’s she?
Happiness? Slowly slipping.
These feelings of anxiety have brought a sense of disconnect. Disconnected from life, from joy, from living and most seriously, from God. The source of all those things. The worst thing about this feeling of disconnect is that I know the reason why.
As humans, we like a sense of control. We seek stability and we find ways to avoid pain and disruption. Do these ever work? Absolutely not. Why? Because these things are inevitable. We even read about it in Ecclesiastes 3. The chapter literally starts with “For everything, there is a season a time for every activity under heaven”. Yet me being Tanesha for the past couple of months has tried to convince herself that maybe trying to control everything will work this time. That there is a possibility for me to shape my life so that it constantly bounces between Spring and Summer. This need for control has caused my spiral out of control. Emotional eating has been my downfall in 2022 alongside clinging to temporary moments of joy and even people.
In 1 Peter 2:11, we are warned against clinging to worldly desires and in Exodus 20:4 we are instructed by God himself not to have any idols. Have you ever thought that the things you’re trying to cling to and control are actually becoming idols in your life? Or even the things that you turn to when in moments of distress - have you pondered on whether these have become idols or stumbling blocks for you? It’s funny because in trying to prevent problems and attempting to take matters into our own hands, we intensify our stress and delve deeper into sin.
So what’s the solution?
GET OUT OF YOUR FEELINGS.
I hate to be harsh but I definitely shouted at the laptop whilst typing that. I was probably shouting at myself. Scientifically a feeling or emotion isn’t actually something permanent. An emotion is just a guide. It’s there to direct you as to your next action. Emotions are an integral part of our biological makeup - they’re what make us human. Nevertheless, it is important we don’t dwell too long on them. Emotions can disturb our logic, get in the way of wisdom and deteriorate our faith. Emotions are based on what we see, hear, touch, taste, feel and experience. Faith is based on the complete opposite (Hebrews 11:1).
As Christians, we cannot have a relationship with God based on our feelings. As believers, we cannot navigate through life using temporary emotions as our GPS. We will never get to our destination. That’s why we end up lost, and disconnected, in situations that seem unbearable and perplexing.
When you feel lost, how do you find your way back?
You go back to basics. This has been my thing recently. Whenever anxiety arises, depending on the situation I ground myself in the truth. If I start to think my friends hate me, I remind myself of actions that prove otherwise. If I start to question my abilities, I revise my previous achievements. The list goes on. As Christians, whenever we feel lost or disconnected we should go back to basics.
The Basics
- God has ultimate control. Yes, there are things I can control on a small scale such as what I eat, how I respond to situations etc but in the grand scheme of things God is truly the author of life, our part is to just trust Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 NLT says And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.
- God’s silence is not His absence. He is everywhere. Hence I am not alone. Psalms 139:7-8 NLT David poetically words it: I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
- Whenever I feel guilty, ashamed or misunderstood, God will extend his mercy towards us. He doesn’t shun us, He embraces us. Psalms 86:15 NLT says: But you, O Lord are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness
These are just a few basics that we can find assurance in when things feel unsteady. All in all, worry and anxiety have no benefit in our lives. Jesus even asked in Matthew 6:27 NLT “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life”. It was a rhetorical question but the answer is clearly no. In fact, it takes away.
The last verse I wish to leave you with is Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 NLT: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labour, for these are gifts from God.”
These words were written by Solomon, the wisest man to walk upon this earth that wasn’t Jesus. In essence, enjoy life for what it is and resist the urge to have control. Relinquish anxiety and bask in this gift of life from God through the high times and the low times.
Ps. If you’re experiencing anxiety to a point where it is persistent and hindering your everyday life please seek professional help and guidance. A great starting point would be your GP.