Hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath and told myself not to overreact. My son in college had just proposed his spring break plans and was looking for our blessing. We loved that he wanted to travel to South America on a mission trip. What didn’t excite my husband and me was the location—a country that is notorious for poverty, crime, and drug cartels. Not wanting to squelch his enthusiasm, we agreed to pray about it.
Before making the final decision, a thousand “what if” scenarios played out in our minds: What if the plane crashes? What if he’s mugged or robbed? What if he gets sick while he’s gone? What if he’s kidnapped and held for ransom? But each time we prayed, we remembered that God was sovereign, no matter what happened. Ultimately, we chose to trust the Lord and affirmed our son’s decision to go.
As the departure date drew near, the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the globe. Our son boarded a plane with his team and flew to South America just as the first coronavirus case was being reported there. Meanwhile back at home, the pandemic was already closing down schools, businesses, and churches. It seemed impossible not to be affected by the tension all around us.
We continued to fight anxious thoughts by entrusting our son’s wellbeing to the Lord. The texts we received from him during the trip comforted us. Our son even thanked us for not “freaking out” like some of the other students’ parents. We breathed a sigh of relief when he touched down on United States soil a week later and thanked God for protecting him and keeping us calm. The next day we had to stop ourselves from asking another series of “What if” questions when he decided to ride out spring semester on campus, in spite of the pandemic.
I’d love to say those situations were unique, but if I’m honest, I can always find a reason to be anxious. Maybe you can too. Jennie Allen says, “We keep finding new concerns to worry about and new facets to each concern, as if by constant stewing we can prepare ourselves for what’s to come. But there is a God who will give us what we need today, next week, and twenty years from now, even if our very worst nightmares come true…The enemy wants to tell us that we cannot trust God to take care of our tomorrows. But the truth is, God is in control of each and every day.”
Maybe, like me, trusting God isn’t your first reflex. It takes time and intentional effort to retrain our minds to put Paul’s words into practice: “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. Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.” (Phil 4:6-8, NIV)
Many of us don’t focus enough on what’s true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. We’ve unintentionally trained our minds to default to anxious thoughts. Every situation presents a fresh opportunity for worry as we envision worst-case scenarios or imagine how our plans may go awry. Often this happens because we fret about the future instead of enjoying the present. Instead, we need to fight anxious thoughts by reminding ourselves of what’s true, just as Paul advises in Philippians. Here are a few biblical truths you can lean on:
- God is good and working for our good (Romans 8:28)
- God is for us (Romans 8:31)
- God loves us and lives in us (1 John 4:15-16)
- God knows what we need and provides for us (Matthew 6:32-33)
Try using this strategy Jennie Allen suggests next time you’re struggling:
Grab your anxious thought. Write it down and be as specific as possible (like my list of “what if” scenarios for my son’s mission trip).
Diagnose the thought. Ask yourself if it’s true. Look for answers in Scripture and/or ask a wise friend to help you figure it out.
Take it to God. Pray about what’s making you anxious and see how the Lord speaks to you. Take note of how the Holy Spirit may be answering you through Christian songs, Scripture, devotionals, Bible studies, sermons, blogs, and godly friends.
Make a choice. Are you going to believe God or stay stuck in your negative and anxious thought pattern? Remember, it takes intentional effort to re-route your thinking in a healthier direction.
In her devotional Jesus Calling, Sarah Young says, “Learn a new habit. Try saying ‘I trust You, Jesus,’ in response to whatever happens to you.” She explains how this practice can become a reflex that helps you to see the Lord in every situation and to acknowledge His sovereignty and control over all things. As you trust, you’ll begin to recognize how the Lord uses hard circumstances for growth opportunities.
Paul’s words in Romans provide a fitting blessing to close my final post in this series: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NIV)
Often anxiety springs from fretting about the future and overlooking how God is at work in the present. Let Jeremy Camp’s song “Keep Me in the Moment” help you remember to trust the Lord now and to believe that He’s sovereign over whatever the future holds.
Jennie Allen, Get Out of Your Head: A Study in Philippians, Thomas Nelson Press, 2020 , pages 135 & 140.
Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Knowing Peace in His Presence, Thomas Nelson Press, 2004, January 4 entry.
