Fear of the unknown
One of the most commonly discussed topics in my counseling office is fear. Many mental health issues are caused by fear, and more specifically, fear of the unknown. As I worked with believers and unbelievers alike, it was one of the most heart-breaking conditions to witness. Without a firm foundation of faith and trust in God, many people endure great anxiety and daily stress due to feelings of impending doom or struggling to control their circumstances with no hope of preventing bad things from happening to them or their loved ones.
I believe most secular counselors and medical professionals would say there is no simple or magic answer to the age-old question of, “What if…?” But I beg to differ. After helping hundreds of my clients find freedom from fear and anxiety, I can tell you the solution is not as complicated as “the world” would make it. Through dealing with my own life battles, as well as experiencing the life transformations of many, many of my clients, true and lasting freedom from fear is found by learning to seek the Kingdom first.
One of the greatest spiritual revelations of my career was the radical truth found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” This line is preceded by eight verses of wise counsel of how to live a life free of worry and that we, as children of God, can trust in Him to provide, protect and give good things to those who believe. In the NASB, this section of Scripture is entitled, The Cure to Anxiety. For many years now, I have grieved as I hear most mental health and medical practitioners profess there is no cure for anxiety. But God…
Learning to seek the Kingdom first, the way of thinking and behaving like Christ is a life-long journey, but if you seek it, He will reveal it to you, one piece of Heaven at a time. And this wisdom and practical life instruction will guide you, reassure you, and keep you from harm. As Matthew 6:33 suggests, if you seek FIRST to have righteous thinking, all things in life will be provided to you. Food, clothing, finances, emotional health and overall well-being. God’s supernatural provision is better than anything you could find in a clothing store, a day at the spa or the momentary reprieve you might experience on a tropical vacation. Seeking to think like God, love like Jesus and move as the Spirit of God leads, will in fact, cure your anxiety and fill you with the kind of faith that will lead you to never fear the unknown again.
If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31) But there is no “cure” for anxiety without God. In fact, it is the absence of a faith and trust in your Creator that leads to anxiety in the first place. A vacuum of control and a never-ending list of what-if scenarios leads many people to live with miserable levels of stress and worry. The miraculous truth found through a relationship with Jesus is that the more you rely on Him, truly casting your cares on Him, the more you realize you were never meant to have the control in the first place. And as you recognize and praise God for the many circumstances in which He does provide, protect and comfort you, the more you trust Him again in the future. Giving God the glory and being thankful to Him, in all circumstances, actually builds your faith and creates an unshakeable mindset of security and peace. And as you demonstrate this steadfast way of thinking and behaving, your life will be a testimony to everyone around you, of God’s love and faithfulness. And the peace that surpasses understanding will flow out of you and into the atmosphere around you, impacting the world to hunger and thirst for what you have. For we live in a fallen world, and the fear of the unknown can be paralyzing and overwhelming to those who do not yet know…they could have a very trustworthy Captain at the helm, if they would simply give Him the wheel.
I pray you make that choice today, and every day. Releasing control and the fear of what you think should or shouldn’t happen, surrendering your life goals for the purposes and destiny God has for you, and trusting your good, good Father to always bring you through difficulties in life, is a daily effort. But it IS the cure to anxiety. And it IS the best life you can live, this side of Heaven.