Do you know how it feels to have an AHA moment? Suddenly, something that once seemed so fuzzy, comes into sharp focus and the complex becomes simple. I have a tendency to make things harder than they should be.
I’m also prone to worry and anxiety and always on the lookout for “a perfect cure!” For instance, I’m a sucker for aromatherapy and essential oils like lavender and peppermint that have a calming effect. I love attending a good yoga class and relish a cup of herbal tea. I’ll move mountains to fit a massage into my hectic schedule. While all of these bring peace and relaxation for a moment, they are fleeting. The scent of the oil fades away, the yoga class, massage and cup of tea all come to an end.
The most effective healing from worry and anxiety I’ve found lies within the moments I make an appointment with the greatest healer I’ve ever known, Jesus. I say appointment, quite literally, because in these crazy busy lives we lead, it requires a commitment to make time to sit down, uninterrupted to read the Bible and pray. We are, of course, free to call on Jesus anytime we need Him and I believe He loves nothing more than to hear from us throughout the day, but truly spending quality time when I can receive healing and transform my mind from anxiousness to peace, requires a commitment to pray, read my Bible and study with intentionality.
I love reading the book of Philippians because it is packed with reminders and encouragement to find joy in the midst of busy, anxious, challenging, days! It also brings perspective that smacks me in the face and wakes me up! Paul wrote this letter to encourage his friends in Philippi, while not only dealing with extreme heat and terrible food, but he had also been ridiculed, beaten and imprisoned! If he can find joy in those circumstances, surely, I can push through the mountain of dishes, laundry, deadlines and stressful to-dos in my life and still experience joy. If that’s not enough to give us an aha moment, right?!
Paul said:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 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. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” (From the Jesus Centered Bible, New Living Translation | Philippians 4:6-8).
Erica Bollinger, Social Media and Marketing
