Okay, I heard something in my spirit. Anxiety is incredible unbelief in God’s ability to perform my tasks. Anxiety is unbelief in Christ’s very Life to perform His will and purpose in mine. So if anxiety is unbelief, then what is it that I am actively believing in? Humans by nature are believers. We will believe in something, even if that something is false. Yep, I am a believer. That’s just how we were made.
A Believer in Hardship
So, if anxiety is unbelief in God’s ability to live my life, then what am I believing in? Hardship! Anxiety is faith in difficulty and struggle. It says that life will always be too hard or impossible. It’s a false faith. And as I have shown, we will even create situations to prove our case. We will manufacture calamity in our life circumstances to support our anxiety. It’s like a “virgin into the volcano” act of worship.
If I’m a believer in trouble, hardship, and difficulty, I will bring it about. I will not be wrong. It’s crazy, right? Why would I purposely sabotage the course of my life? To support my god—anxiety.
It is like an Eeyore spirit, but not so cute: ever the pessimist about all of life. Not only is it my view, but also it becomes my reality. Actually, the frightening thing with this is, even if there isn’t true calamity, our faith in it makes us blind to reality. We’ll believe in the difficulty whether it’s there or not. This is the power of faith!
Believer in Calamity
Now, I’m not shoving ice picks into my tires or lighting my unfiled tax returns on fire. No, it’s less obvious than that. It’s like my example of the woman who thought it’d be a good idea to remodel her house right in the middle of planning for her daughter’s wedding. It’s putting undue pressure on ourselves to support my beliefs. It’s subtle choices that bring about deliberate chaos.
God will so perfectly lay out our tasks in the Spirit. It’s like a road map with landmarks, asking us to invite Him in to perform our lives. Christ’s course is His will and choice. But when we take control and pop a wheelie, God help us! Listening to the whispers of the flesh will make for dire deals.
For it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
True Believer
Life is an invitation for God’s participation. We have the unique ability to choose for ourselves whether or not He is given permission to perform our lives. It’s all set up for us to yield to His life.
The false faith of anxiety feeds on tension, while Christ’s life is about rest. It’s not just an option; it is how to live. When you lay these two paths side by side, it all comes down to one fact: anxiety is rebellion. Either Christ lives my life and I enter His rest, or I give the reins of my life to anxiety and live in torment.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands,
let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Hebrews 4:1
Always Marveling!
“God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future.”
Oswald Chambers
“My Utmost for His Highest”
December 31
“God will so perfectly lay out our tasks in the Spirit.” And He does . . . and He is.
Thankful.
Love you, John.
Bless you Pauline, “He is” is the operative words here. Thank you! I am praying for “He is” in our 2018. May this year be a year unlike any other. Where “He is” everything for us, to us and through us. I love you.
Since anxiety is rebellion…
Then faith can only be love!!!…
Precisely Sandy! Brilliant! Love you big!
Morning John! I’m in hopes that these messages concerning anxiety will become a CD. I need to preorder a case, please! I was born into a long line of “Anxious – Perfectionist – Control – Freaks” and in keeping with scripture this curse didn’t stop with me. It wasn’t until my children were grown with children of their own that I came to understand the principle of “generational curses.” Hallelujah for His Truth, Mercy, and Grace! Once He revealed the root to this behavior I was able to repent and ask forgiveness on behalf of not only myself but for… Read more »
That would be great, or a booklet entitled “Escape from Anxiety!” With the cover being a picture of Alcatraz. ??? I relate so well to what you have said. I too came from a long line of “Anxious – Perfectionist – Control – Freaks.” The good news is The Good News, Christ came to pull a prison break and set us free. I think we are able to at any point roll back into that anxious way of living. But the road to Christ’s Rest is so much more rewarding. Bless you and love you Tammy. Thanks for being a… Read more »
Thank you John! OH MY!!! Another revelation!
So so so true of me. Thank you John for sharing not only what you hear, but the revelation that comes from it.
What amazing insights the Holy Spirit has given you. Job 3:25 comes to mind in this regard. This principle can be applied to so many areas of my life where I have believed a lie instead Jesus’ words – the truth. My actions follow what I believe. Thank you for your transparency in sharing. Your words always encourage me to go deeper into all that Jesus has for me in His A undaunted life.
Mine started around age 4yrs. and I believe actually served a purpose because drunken step dads were completely unpredictable. So anxiety served to keep my senses alert to little changes in his behavior which might proceed into trouble for me. However what might have helped in that sitation, I clung to inappropriatly and applied to more and more situations until it finally became a way of life. A huge burden to me and mine.
Yes, Jack, I too used it as a survival tool and then it became a gargantuous monster that ate me up and those around me. As an unsaved child I did things to survive, although this is no excuse, just a reality. As I look at the fruit of my early anxiousness, I see clearly it was bad. He showed me that I am still personally responsible for all my sinful choices of anxiety even as an unbeliever. Thankfully I was saved and now I can lay aside flesh’s coping mechanisms and its devastating effects. Thank you so much for… Read more »
Thank you, for giving me a direction to go to in my next post.
Abiding in the Vine, casting our cares upon Him, presenting our body as a living sacrifice, a work of grace, cease striving in the flesh and our works, holding fast to our confession (the word), expecting from Him only and entering God’s rest through faith. John, you are giving us a timely message for today and preparation for the days to come!