Overcoming Anxiety
Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. —Billy Graham
When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 50 years later.
At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” (Matthew 11:25). At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness.
But God wants so much more for us than to walk through life full of fear, worry and anxiety.
“Do not be anxious about anything,” the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter 4, “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.”
Our instructions don’t stop there. The chapter goes on to tell believers exactly what we should focus on. And it’s not fear, terrorism, illness, death or evil.
“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” (Philippians 4:8-9, ESV, emphasis added).
The first step to an anxiety-free mind is to give your life to Jesus Christ. Once you’ve taken that step, it’s important to fix your thoughts on Jesus and the promise that He is preparing a place for His followers in heaven (John 14:2-3).
Below are some resources meant to help you overcome fear and anxiety and live life the way Jesus teaches us—a life full of faith, truth, hope, peace and joy:
- 10 Bible Verses on Anxiety and Fear: What God’s Word says about being anxious.
- How Can I Deal with Crippling Anxiety? A response from BGEA staff.
- Is it Wrong to Take Medicine for Anxiety? Billy Graham’s Answer.
- The Cure for Anxiety: A timeless radio message from Billy Graham.
- 15 Quotes for an Anxious Heart: A collection of inspiring graphics to read, post and share.
- What’s Wrong with the World? A mobile-friendly page with Steps to Peace with God.
True peace comes from a relationship with Jesus. Choose peace with God today.
Read the original article on BillyGraham.org
Taking God with Me Wherever I Go
When I was a girl, I loved listening to Amy Grant sing. Her songs were so powerful, evoking deep emotions, bringing healing as she sang about things that resonated with me. We sometimes feel a sense of isolation and a haunting longing. It’s really just the desire to belong. Listening to Amy Grant’s songs, I thought someone else understood: what it was to be sad, to be happy, to want to cry, to celebrate. Last week I found myself having lunch with Amy Grant, and listening to her sing again, while she talked about her journey in life. It amazed me how decades had passed, and yet she still tracks with women like me as she sings about life’s ups and downs. Then she said something that really resonated.
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God.
I realized that her ability to minister to women through music comes from a deep faith in the Lord Jesus. She has leaned on Him herself for years, and uses language and music to express how He has carried her through joys and sorrows. It’s the language that carries the power. Words. The Word.
Thinking about how to take God with me wherever I go, I have pondered the reality of practicing His presence. He is omnipresent. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. I know in my head that it’s true. He is the creator of the universe. But my heart and soul sometimes still feel alone. During a time of deep grief C.S. Lewis once said, “But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is in vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and the sound of bolting and double bolting inside. After that, silence.” I’ve felt that alone. But God IS with me, always. How do I take hold of that head knowledge and make it heart knowledge? It’s language that has always been key for me. It’s His word. The power is in the WORD.
“Is not my Word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29
I can practice His presence by meditating on His word. I can chase away fear when I speak His word aloud. I take Him with me by recalling verses I’ve memorized. When I am joyful, I try to recite praise from the Psalms. When I am lonely, I turn to Psalms of lament. When I am afraid, I speak His name aloud, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” Just the sound of His name is powerful.
There are so many wonderful scripture tools we can use. Bible verses appear in almost every medium. On my computer, on my coffee cup, on my phone. I’ve found that the slow process of soaking in His word, reading it every day, having it in my view throughout the day in myriad ways, has burned some into my memory. But I don’t have to memorize it. The discipline of reading it every day nourishes my heart. I have it with me wherever I go. I always have my phone. I keep a copy of the Psalms in my purse. That’s how I take God with me wherever I go. Because really, I am not taking Him with me, I’m just practicing His presence. Because He goes before me, beside me, and brings up my rear guard. That knowledge begins to seep from my head into my heart when I am intentional about the language of God. His Word.
C.S. Lewis later described emerging from his deep grief. He surmised that he couldn’t feel God’s presence when he needed Him most because he was consumed by his own thoughts. His self-focus drowned out the voice he really wanted to hear, “like a drowning man who cannot be helped because he clutches or grabs.” I want to take God with me always, or practice His divine presence, by thinking of Him wherever I go. I don’t want to clutch and grab only when I am desperate. I choose the discipline of carving out intentional time to read his word. Some days I fail. But His mercies are new every morning. So I pick up my bible and read when the sun comes up. Or look at my coffee cup verse. Or my phone app with scripture. His Word. And the Word was God. With me wherever I go.
Second Chances
Have you ever had a second chance before? I'm talking about any kind of second chance. For example, you escaped near death in a car accident or heart attack, or your parents gave you a "second chance" (probably 3, 4 or even 5 chances), a policeman gives you a "warning" and not a ticket. There are multiple ways you can receive a second chance.
I feel like God has given me many second chances! I've failed so many times and worst of all, I have failed God, but He continues to love me and give me second chances every day. When you ask Jesus into your heart, you are receiving a second chance! He will come into your life and transform it if you will let Him. God gives His favor to those that honor Him, love Him, and give Him glory. If you are not walking with God, how can you expect Him to bless you or give you a second chance?
God wants you to follow Him. Our hope is that AmazingGrace.Life will be a great a resource for you as you seek Him.
Three Reasons Why History Matters to the Christian Faith
Did the events recorded in the pages of Scripture really happen in history? And does it matter? The short answer is … Yes and Yes! By the way, the longer answer is still yes and yes … but this is a short article, not a book.
Here are 3 reasons why history matters to the Christian faith.
(1) Biblical faith is not blind faith. Reason and evidence play an important role in the life of faith. God created us as rational beings with the capacity to weigh evidence and draw conclusions about what we are experiencing. We are called to give reasons for faith (cf. 1 Peter 3:15-16).
I for one am so encouraged that when John the Baptist struggled with doubt and sent his disciples to Jesus to inquire if he truly was the long awaited Messiah that Jesus didn’t respond with an austere warning to just have more faith.
No, Jesus reminded John to pay attention to what he had heard and what he had seen — that will give you confidence of my true identity (cf. Matthew 11:2-5). Mere belief for the sake of belief is not true Christianity.
(2) The Central claim of Christianity is that Jesus of Nazareth rose bodily from the dead. If you asked the Apostle Paul, he would agree that faith and history go together. If Jesus “has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). As Nancy Pearcey observes: “Biblical Christianity refuses to separate historical fact from spiritual meaning. Its core claim is that the living God has acted in history, especially in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.”
(3) Jesus of Nazareth believed the events recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a the Old Testament) actually happened. If Jesus really rose from the dead (and there is powerful historical evidence that he did) then what did he think about the Old Testament?
Did he think Moses, David, and Noah were real? Yes (cf. Mark 12:26), yes (cf. Matthew 12:3) and yes (Matthew 24:37). Paul, who had seen the risen Jesus, even cites examples from the days of Moses to teach us, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11).
So, yes these things happened. And yes it matters to our faith.
If God has spoken and acted in the past — and this has been reliably preserved for us — then we can trust that he will act in the future as well.
To be sure there is more going in the Bible than just history, but certainly not less! After all, hope without history is simply wishful thinking.
Revelation 21:5 "Behold, I am making all things new... for these words are trustworthy and true."
All things new. It's hard to imagine, in the world of aging and decay, death and destruction, that all things can be new. Not much is guaranteed to be trustworthy and true today. But we long for a standard that doesn't shift, that we can count on. Trustworthy and true sounds like security.
We tend to get caught in a trap of seeking new things just for their newness. Even when we already have more than we need. It's all a matter of perspective. We live in a culture that worships the new. Everyone, even living in poverty, must have a new phone every two years, new sneakers every six months, and new entertainment every day. But God's promises tell us about renewal, refreshing, and a heavenly newness that is beyond our worldly imaginations. Better than a new iPhone or new Jordans. How can we anticipate the new year and look forward to novelty that draws us nearer to God's perspective on reality?
It could be quite simple. Perhaps we just establish a few new habits. And make them things that will refresh our perspective, renew our hearts, and remain steadfast, trustworthy and true. Where do we look for that?
One important commodity that bears the ability to impart new things, or to remain stable, is the written word. Our entertainment is carried along the moving thread of language. Trends and ideas, new and old, are expressed in words. Perhaps we can look to God's word that has lasted two thousand years and find some truth that is trustworthy and true. Perhaps that is the foundation that will support the renewal we are looking for?
I've found that in years when I commit to a new habit of reading God's word each day, in whatever time or amount I can, that my life changes. I learn new things, see new things, develop a better understanding of who God is. I think it is amazing that words I read and re-read, time and again, can continue to teach me new things. I reflect on His understanding of the longings of our hearts when he said "Yet 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." Ecclesiastes 3:11
What this passage means to me is that His word might be exactly what I need today and the very same text might mean something different, I might see it with new eyes, on another day in another year. If I commit to reading the bible each day, I am renewed. I find the newness that satisfies my longing, at exactly the right time. It is trustworthy and true.
Another new habit for the new year is to accompany bible reading with daily prayer. Intentionally seeking God. I write my prayers in a journal to help me focus, and to have a written record, so that I can see when He answers. I ask the Lord to give me new eyes, so that I can see Him working in new ways. Sometimes I remember good times past and feel a longing for the old and familiar. But God's promise of renewal requires me to keep an open mind, and to trust Him. I've found after several years of daily bible reading and prayer that I actually look forward to my time in God's word, like a visit with a friend.
C.S. Lewis said, “we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. Harking back to some occasion, which seemed to reach perfection, and depressed by the comparison. But the new occasion is full of its own new blessing, if only we open ourselves to it. God shows us a new facet of glory, and we refuse to look at it because we are still looking for the old one.”
I pray to receive new blessings with a willing heart and open mind. I choose to trust that God is good and His promises are true. Deciding to believe that God's word is TRUE is a choice. But sometimes our hearts and minds can follow our actions. Try action. Read God’s word every day in 2017. Pray daily. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. See what happens. You might be surprised to be filled with the joy of something new, something trustworthy and true.