anxiety

It was a race to finish line. I had been out of the country for a number of weeks and was on my last leg, mentally and physically exhausted. I had a connecting flight to catch for the 12 hour flight home…and my first flight was very late arriving. That caused my husband and me to do a full-on 20 minute sprint through a very large airport, baggage in hand, in order to maybe be able to catch our flight home.

Running through crowds, up and down escalators, completely winded, muscles burning, we made it onto the plane just before they closed the doors.

By this point I was frustrated, exhausted and annoyed at the airline.

As I found my seat, I told the sweet, 80 year old man sitting next to me that I had just sprinted for 20 minutes to make this flight.

And do you know what happened?

I was met with the most gentle and peaceful response from my seat partner. He was so calm and so filled with peace that it felt like I had walked into an invisible wall of peace.

The presence of peace felt tangible.

Have you ever experienced this? You walk into someone’s home, or start talking with someone and instantly it’s as if peace is surrounding you. It’s undeniably hanging in the atmosphere.

I have experienced it many times. And I’ve also experienced the opposite.

Have you ever been around someone who is so full of worry, fear or anxiety that it’s difficult for you to not start feeling worried, anxious or fearful? It’s as if their anxiety fills the atmosphere, closing in all around you so that you have to make a concerted effort to not become anxious, too, even when you have nothing to be anxious about!

We can be atmosphere-changers for the good or for the bad.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). So, when the Holy Spirit is living inside of us, just walking into a room changes the atmosphere because we are carrying Peace Himself within us.

Yet, if we allow unchecked negative emotions to rule us, we choke out the peace that is available to us. And as a result we can throw our anxiety onto others without even realizing it.

We have to be careful about the emotions we choose to wear and the attitude we choose to have.

I’m not talking about pretending you are full of peace when you’re not. Being fake doesn’t equal a peaceful atmosphere. And while feeling negative emotions isn’t always a bad thing, I don’t believe that God intends for us to remain in that negativity.

We have the choice to wear negativity like a garment. Or to wear peace.

So…How do you keep your peace when your mind wants to rebel into fear?

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that “You (God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

When you are beginning to feel those negative, nagging fears rise up, make a faith-filled decision to hand them over to Jesus and to trust Him. Peace will be restored. You may have to do that a hundred times, but fight for your peace if you need to.

Remember, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has told us:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

His Peace is peace that often passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

This week let’s be cognizant of which emotions we’re letting rule us. Keeping our peace is a choice. Let’s choose peace no matter the circumstance.

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” I read that Persian Proverb several years ago as I was walking through a year-long wilderness journey of extremely high anxiety and panic attacks that came on out of nowhere. The anxiety was so high and so pervasive that I couldn’t even shake it when I was with close friends who I knew I could fall apart in front of, if needed.

It led to a huge crisis of faith where I questioned if God was even real and if the Bible could be trusted. Much of the time I felt like I was hanging onto faith by a thread. God eventually led me out of that intense anxiety and taught me how to overcome it. Now I can honestly tell you that on the other side of it, I am thankful for the experience.

Treasure Hunting With God
In Isaiah 45:3 God says, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Only in walking through darkness–that wilderness–do we receive those secret treasures from God. There are certain things we only learn and experience while suffering.

My experience of anxiety tested my faith (proving it stronger on the other side); developed my character; gave me deep compassion for others in similar trials; and drew me closer to the heart of God. In the midst of what feels like darkness to us, we can be encouraged that even “darkness is as light” to God (Psalm 139:12). He sees everything. He is with you, no matter what “time of day” it is in your life.

Recently I listened to a sermon where the teacher suggested that perhaps the wilderness times in our lives are one of God’s favorite times to spend with us. Not because we’re suffering or are experiencing pain but because during those times we tend to draw even closer to the Father; to have our character refined causing us to resemble Jesus more and more; and we gain insights we never would have learned if we always stayed on the mountain top.

And while suffering we also have the opportunity to fellowship with Jesus in a way that we cannot at any other time; to tap into just a small piece of what He suffered for us on the cross.

O My Strength, I Watch For You
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is written by David, who went through a very long wilderness experience before he became king. During that time he grew so close to God and learned to truly depend on Him for every need. David’s character, way of thinking, and the way he worshiped God were forever imprinted in a positive way because of that dark wilderness journey; a journey that prepared him to be king of God’s people. In Psalm 59:9-10 David writes:

“O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

Notice that David addresses God as His Strength and his fortress; and even in the midst of his trial David knows how kind and loving God is toward him. But here’s an interesting thing: David is watching for God to show up to help him. He is expectant. David knows that God will come through for him; he doesn’t doubt for a second. He knows from experience after experience that God will not fail him. Ever.

God Will Never Fail Us
God always wants to draw us to Himself. He wants us to rely fully on Him. He wants us to give up control to Him. So He will allow certain situations into our lives that accomplish just that: coming to the end of ourselves; not being able to control situations; having to fully lean and rely on and trust in Him. That can be a tough experience to live out daily. And that is where I was living while walking through anxiety.

But the result of that experience is that I know that He is my Source. And I know now that God will not fail me. Ever. I don’t just mean I know it in my head. I mean I know it. Just like David, I know to look for God and expect Him to come through for me no matter what I am facing.

Be encouraged by that today if you are in the midst of groping your way through the darkness. God is with you. He is. Submit yourself to Him. Trust Him and watch for Him. There is treasure in the dark times, just as the stars are a treasure only visible to us at night.

Rayni Risher

When Peace Invades the Atmosphere

Treasures in Darkness

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