Do not be anxious about anything…
Phil 4:6
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If you could see the inside of me, my emotions, fears, struggles, selfish ways, thoughts, it would be quite different from seeing me from the outside. We spend so much time trying to make ourselves presentable in whatever ways we deem we want to present. But the real person is the one on the inside.
I know the verse well, “Do not be anxious.” But so often, I am. Often we hide our true selves from others believing that maybe they would judge us for being so weak or petty or selfish. But, the truth is, all of us are a casserole of emotions and thoughts. Christ desires that we learn how to come to Him, to abide in Him, to rest in Him so that we do not have to carry such burdens. Yet, as human beings, we find we are weak, vulnerable, weary. As humans, we suffer the finiteness of our humanity on a daily basis. What to do?
Many of you, like me, have bigger issues than the normal woman. When we have children who are “different” or out of the box or who come with some kind of “diagnosis,” we long for the comfort of others who understand. Some have very difficult marriages, (perhaps a husband with a very difficult issue that will never go away), difficult children or prodigals, pasts that we are ashamed to share. Many of us have scars, voices that accuse us of our imperfections—that those around us would not understand.
But we need people who understand, acknowledge the reality of our troubles and struggles and can come alongside and help. Pretending they do not exist only causes us to stuff the dark emotions further down which causes more trouble in the long run.
Often, when I would try to share about my struggles discovering how to best parent Nathan and my other clinically OCD kids, my friends would deny it thinking I would feel better if they assured me it wasn’t obvious or a real problem. But what I needed was for someone to say, “Yes, I see it. It must be hard. Let me bear this burden with you. How can I help?” I needed compassion not placating.
Day to day with challenging lives can cause us to feel despair and lonely and drained without a way to go forward. But this is the truth, anxiety, fear, insecurity, anger in a fallen world filled with hate, difficulty and injustice causes us to feel these feelings. God wants to walk with us through them, not to ignore them.
Anxiety has become a common experience for us in the age of COVID. What do we do with the anxiety we face, and with our suffering more generally? How should we approach anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses with love and grace? What does God do through these things to draw us closer to himself and to teach us with unflinching patience? These are important questions for us, and the answers we find in Scripture are both insightful and encouraging.
I was so thankful to be able to have a conversation with my online friend, Pierce Taylor Hibbs, about this very subject, but particularly anxiety. In this episode, today I talk about some of these issues with him, author of Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety, about ways to move through these issues. We share stories of God's faithfulness and presence, our own growth in compassion, and our responses to God in times of great anxiety and suffering.
Understand that we are not coming up with a “One size fits all, the ten ways to be sure you overcome anxiety and every other emotional distress.” The reality is that sometimes our issues stay as companions with us for life. There is no easy fix. Yet, as I allow God to walk through my own issues, I find comfort, compassion, humility, strength, hope to keep going forward. The message throughout is clear:
God's power is made perfect in our weakness, and he shapes us, lovingly and faithfully, to look more and more like Jesus Christ.
This is our desire: If you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does, we hope you hear that you are seen, accepted, loved, and shepherded by the God who uses everything for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28).
You can find Pierce at his website: Website: Piercetaylorhibbs.com
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