We experience worry whenever we are unable to change something that affects us. We experience anxiety whenever we anticipate something may affects us and we experience stress whenever we are challenged into doing something that is difficult for us.
Although these are all normal feelings that our bodies respond to; they shouldn’t take control of us and we shouldn’t allow them to dominate— they don’t do any good to us.Anxiety is one of those emotions that you cannot let it of you. Although we aren’t immune to these emotions, we do have a say in our lives toward our feelings. They don’t have to stay and they don’t have to take control. You can voluntarily decide to take them out of your mind and heart.
This is why Jesus said:
Focus energy in what you can change. Focus prayer in what you cannot. Live your today, leave the rest to God.
For a long time in my life, I didn’t realize how it takes voluntarily effort to do this. It won’t just happen. I may pray but I need to decide and make an action to leave my anxiety within God’s ability to handle things, not mine.
Only when I’m able to trust God with what I am praying for, I can turn the worry to him. My mind must be set in rejecting my anxieties. It’s a decision that I must make. Instead, I should shift my mind to better things.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
When there’s nothing else on my hands to create the change I would like to see or to receive what I still need; I can transfer the anxiety that comes with my expectations to God. When I am left powerless, it’s time to surrender to the one who has all the power.
Only in that way, I can let go of the stress, worry or anxiety that inevitably will come, but it doesn’t have to stay. Why should I worry or be anxious if God doesn’t want me to?
