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Anxiety that leads to Rejoice

Writer's picture: CrystalCrystal

I am facing surgery on Tuesday (tomorrow) for my neck. I found out last week I would be having surgery. It is amazing what the mind thinks when anxiety flares...


I started a poem..."If I meet Jesus Tuesday..." Not sure I can finish it, but I started it to work out some of the anxiety I was feeling. (Didn't work.) I have cooked meals so that my sweet husband wouldn't have to think about what to feed us. I have had conversations about feelings, as in "what are you feeling", "how does think make you feel", etc.


This morning I got up early (seems to be my norm lately) and I thought about my "life" verses. A life verse is a verse or verses that directs your life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."


I failed to live by these verses when I heard the Doctor say surgery. Instead I cried and then allowed my thought to run wild. Sunday came and a teacher asked about blessings. I thought about that word for a moment. Blessings, we often think of the good things in our lives. But that is hard to do when things are not going well. We should look for blessings even in the difficult times. Blessings are things that cause us to give thanks. It is hard to be thankful during the storms of life. I would dare say now that blessings are things that bring our attention to God. Yes they can be good things like our house, cars, health, etc. but what if the negative things going on shift our hearts, thoughts, and mind to God. Wouldn't that be a blessing?


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 shows us that in all circumstances we should rejoice. Not just in the good times, but in the bad too. In all circumstances pray and don't stop. That one is pretty easy when you are in a storm. And finally, in all circumstances give thanks. Anxiety and worry keep us for doing two of these things, rejoicing and giving thanks. Anxiety and worry are both fear driven. They keep us in the "What If" moments. Daniel 3:18 reminds us that "Even If" God doesn't do what we ask, He is still God and He is still Good and worthy of our worship.


I looked up rejoice and it appears in the Bible 154 times, thanksiving 34 times and thanks 95 times. Worry or anxiety seem to appear in a sentences that begin with "do not". Rejoice and thanks seem to instruct us to focus on The Lord and that is a good place to be. I do not have a gratitude journal, probably should, but today's entry would look something like this:


"I am thankful for the breath that I am allowed to breath this morning. I will use that breath to sing of His goodness. He has provided a surgeon who has the knowledge to fix a disc problem in me. I am thankful for the Word because it directs my thoughts to Him who deserves all praises, whom I will sit and worship even as the "what if" thoughts are running through my mind. I will worship Him because He turns my "what if's" into "even if's". I am thankful for the quiet this morning because it has allowed me to shift my thoughts to You, God...and allowed me to share those thoughts in a blog."


What season are you in? Where are your thoughts taking you? Allow me to say one more thing...if you are in a season of storms...Try repeating 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 make it personal "Crystal, rejoice always, Crystal, pray without ceasing..." This allows God to change your circumstances (or your heart) and not the other way around. Our circumstances cannot change God, God changes our circumstances...worship and give thanks!



rejoice? REJOICE!

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