What are we talking about today?
Ever struggled with feeling anxious?
Of course you have. You’re human. You’re a mom. You live in a crazy and messed up world! But God tells us… don’t be anxious. About anything.
If you want to replace the anxiety in your heart with peace, dive into today’s episode.
We’re looking at Philippians 4 to study practical action steps that we can take to reduce anxiety in our lives. As we follow God’s commands here, we will not only experience LESS anxiety… we will experience MORE peace.
Let’s dive in.
Listen to Episode 68:
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Snag your resources here!
If today’s topic is meaningful to you, you’ll also want to check out these earlier podcast episodes that connect with this same topic:
- Episode 29 // The incredible benefits of writing things down! How journaling, gratitude lists, and using a written planner can strengthen your mental health, spiritual growth, and family life.
- Episode 39 // Take your thoughts captive to Christ.. but how?! Let’s build our intimacy with God and strengthen our own mental health by practicing 4 key steps to controlling our thought life.
- Episode 51 // Do you have an attitude of GRATITUDE? Let’s look at 6 practical benefits of gratitude, plus 3 action steps to help you be a more thankful person.
Let me also offer a FREE resource that I know will be helpful:
Do you have a regular habit of spending time in God’s Word and in prayer? This is one of the BEST ways to strengthen your mental health and experience a more peaceful home. Grab a copy of my FREE Holy Habits: 45-Day Bible & Prayer Challenge.
And don’t forget to dive into our 40 Day Devotional on Anger & Emotional Control to help you manage those emotions that are getting in the way of peace in your home!
[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]
Today's Episode Highlights
As we read through the Bible, we see a clear command from God that we should not worry or be anxious.
Why? How do we accomplish this? Anxiety impacts millions of us every year, and chances are good that if you are not personally struggling with anxiety, one of your children or dear friends is.
Let’s open God’s Word together to see his recommended steps for dealing with anxiety.
Why do Christians struggle with anxiety?
We need to start by acknowledging that many Christians do struggle with anxiety. It is not a matter of “just pray more” or “just read the Bible more.” There are deeper issues going on.
- Sometimes, medical issues cause our anxiety. Your brain may not be releasing the right hormones at the right time. Just like any other physical illness, sometimes anxiety issues are a physiological problem that needs medical treatment.
- We live in a troubled, broken world. There are a lot of things in life that can make us feel anxious. We have a lot less control over things (things that are REALLY important to us) than we like to think we do.
- At some level, there is a spiritual struggle going on. Whether it is spiritual immaturity, lack of trust in God, or a dry season in our spiritual intimacy with the Lord… without a firm foundation in his power, goodness, and love, anxiety starts to make sense.
It might make sense, but it still isn’t what God wants for us. Fortunately, He tells us what to do about it!
If you want to get deeper in your relationship with the Lord, make sure to grab a FREE copy of the Holy Habits 45 Day Bible and Prayer Challenge.
Dealing with anxiety from Philippians 4:4-9
Let’s start by reading through this Scripture passage, and then we will break down the 8 action steps that it tells us to do when we feel anxiety.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians4:4-9)
This is good stuff! Let’s look more closely at the action steps we see here.
8 practical action steps
- “Rejoice in the Lord, always.” This means we are making an intentional decision to lean into our relationship with God at that moment when anxiety spikes. Turn your thoughts and attention to the joy you have in Christ.
- “Be reasonable” Don’t get sucked into emotional reactions to things. Think it through. Go slowly enough in your reactions to things that you can respond reasonably.
- “Do not be anxious about anything” … Why? Because “the Lord is at hand.” It might feel like He is far away or not paying attention, but that is simply not true. He is present. He knows what’s going on. He has complete control. He has the power to do whatever is necessary, and He always does exactly what is right. (Even if we don’t understand it.)
- “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” This is a lot! First, we take it to God humbly (prayer and supplication). Then, we make sure to focus on our blessings and gratitude. Finally, we honestly tell him what we want and need. Basically… have a real conversation with God about your problems!
- “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We must remind ourselves of this truth. The problem you are facing might not change… but God can and will guard your heart and mind about these issues.
- “Think about things that are… true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worth of praise.” Focus your thoughts on things that fit ALL of these criteria. And typically, your anxious thoughts are not. So identify them, stop them, and replace them. (Episode 39 has more on this.)
- “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things.” The Apostle Paul wrote these words. It reminds us that we also need to follow people whom we trust and know. People who point us to Jesus. Don’t try to deal with hard emotions alone.
- “… and the God of peace will be with you.” Through all of this, we continue walking forward in the situation WITH God. We don’t give up hope. We don’t isolate ourselves and withdraw from the Christian life. We lean into God, and continue forward.
Some resources to help
If you are struggling with anxiety, you may want to consider finding a mental health professional to support you. (See my ideas and resources for counseling here.)
Ultimately, the deeper our relationship is with Jesus, the better we are able to handle the trials and struggles of life, including mental health struggles.
- Check out our line of devotionals and dive into a topic that will help you grow closer to God.
- Get our free Holy Habits 45-Day Bible & Prayer Challenge to start building that daily time with God.
Friday Faith Follow-up
Let’s keep replacing that anxiety with PEACE, my friend. Enjoy this bonus episode on the podcast, looking at how our intimacy with Jesus helps us manage our mental health… as well as the action steps we need to take today to build that intimacy.
Dive in!
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A reminder of the Disclaimers & Disclosures Policy: I am an affiliate with many of the resources I recommend, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my provided links. I never recommend products I don’t love! Also, I am a licensed therapist but this podcast is not therapy. It is not professional or personal advice to your specific situation. Get info about professional counseling here.
