Eight Days a Lifetime

Day 3
Anxiety—Worry
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

So far, all that has been asked of you is to

• acknowledge the need to change
• believe the passages quoted in these pages

Now the fun begins. Our first real work is internal, and it is not easy. For meaningful change and the acceptance of what for some may be a new belief system, we must rid ourselves, once and for all, of the anxiety and worry that weigh us down each day.

In effect, anxiety is at the root of so many of our problems, and it exacerbates others. So learning to deal with anxiety is at the heart of this entire exercise.

Anxiety is the seed that gives rise to the entire vicious circle that deprives us of the ability to believe, to give, and to let go of things that tie us and our relationships to the past. And remember we have no control over the past, so why stay tied to it?

When anxiety rules, we are constantly worried, and we live in dire fear of the unknown.

Under the spell of anxiety, we can’t change, we can’t let go, and we can’t forgive.

Think about the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we fear and worry enough, we might just make those fears and worries come true.

Back to the swimming pool: If you have a dire fear of drowning, how can you possibly let go of the side of the pool? And if you do, you may literally drown in your own fear. The real swimmer, by contrast, has no anxiety; she doesn’t drown but seemingly floats in the knowledge of knowing she can swim.

Likewise, if we fear tomorrow, how can we function today? How can we give if we fear the next sunrise? How can we forgive someone and truly let go of a past wrong if we live in a state of fear? And back to the beginning, how can we possibly change or repent under the chains of anxiety, much less believe in anything beyond the next horrible shoe to drop?

We will simply lack the strength to do these things, much less function in our daily lives, if we carry the constant burden of anxiety, fear, and worry.

Back to change and belief. Remind yourself that it is indeed possible to make meaningful and profound change—right now, with that all-important first step, knowing that there is a higher power who has already given you grace, even to make mistakes. And the powerful, positive feedback you will feel with that first step of positive change will also be a first step in taking anxiety out of your life.

So even if you read no more, take the time to study and understand this chapter and what the Bible tells us about the horrible, oppressive effect of anxiety.

Why Me?

Fear seems like such a natural human emotion. Who has not been afraid or anxious? Encountering anything that is unknown or even new can cause anxiety and self-doubt. Yet anxiety, natural though it may seem, calls into question our true faith more than almost any other behavior!

But what is at the core of that anxiety? What are we always afraid of?

Let’s be honest: anxiety reflects fear, and fear feeds anxiety. A fear that takes hold where there is a lack of faith or belief in a higher power or belief system or there is a fear of change (and they go together and feed off each other).

This daily fear paralyzes us, renders us indecisive, unable to live in the moment, and it can cause us to be ineffective in our jobs and personal relationships. At its worst, anxiety can effectively shut us down, evolving into a true illness that for some only medication and other forms of intervention can solve.

A practical result of constant anxiety is the inability to live in the present.

Many of us spend most days worrying about those to come, and we miss the present. So we devote our energies to fearing tomorrow while missing today.

Thus, we complain that life seems to be passing us by and moving all too quickly. There is no better way to slow down and enjoy this process than to learn to live in the present.

Anxiety deprives us of the blessing of the present.

The good news though is that if you are open to change and willing to believe, you have already taken the first steps in ridding yourself of this beast.

* * *

Stop for a moment and ask yourself this: At any point in your life, under any circumstances, has anxiety or worry ever solved a single problem? Ever?

Again, anxiety, and worry are warning signs of a lack of faith, and a lack of faith is a root cause of most anxiety and worry.

Wow! Talk about a vicious cycle!