Faith
In our sacrament meeting the topic was the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. Basically it came down to the fourth Article of Faith: We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
As I listened to the talks I came to the conclusion that I should try to find out what part of this Article of Faith I needed to work on most in my life. Logically, I started with examining my faith since it came first. I never got past faith. I had a lot to learn about faith, or the lack of faith, in my life. It was an eye opener for me.
My journey started with this quote:
"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of
anxiety, or by the handle of faith." ~Henry Ward Beecher
I love this statement. I have used it in my own life, but with slight modifications:
"Every situation has two handles. I can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith."
This was a great opportunity to study the connection between anxiety and faith. A little self-evaluation is good for the soul. So I posed the question, does anxiety or faith rule my life? I was surprised by the answer.
What are some of the things in life that cause us anxiety? The most common things we worry about are: finances, relationships, health, children, employment, personal needs, and even our spiritual well-being.
I use to think that I was a pretty mellow person when it came to worries, that is, until I started being more mentally aware of my thoughts. I decided to pay more attention to my first thoughts when a situation would arise and I was surprised by what I learned about myself.
I am the 'what if' queen. Thoughts like: What if this happens or that happens? What if it doesn't turn out the right way? What if others will be affected by my worries? were common thought reactions to daily situations. I found myself worring about what people would think of me if a situation goes bad, but I mostly worried about how the experience would impact the people around me. I learned that I would rather deal with anxiety than guilt. Is that wrong?
I even tried to justify my thoughts by grouping them into the 'just planning for every scenario' category. They became part of the planning process, but is it healthy to have so much anxiety? And what does the fact that I worry so much say about my level of faith in the Lord?
As I was searching in the scriptures looking for the Lord's thoughts on anxiety I came across Philippians 4:6-7.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Wouldn't it be nice to "be careful for nothing"! Is it even possible? Apparently it is or the Lord wouldn't say it! So how do we achieve the peace of God? The words prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, requests, understanding, hearts and minds seemed to answer that question. I need to pray humbly, with gratitude when I make requests for understanding that would change my heart and mind (thoughts).
Changing the way I think intrigued me. So I sat down and wrote out my current anxiety thinking pattern and then tried to find the faith thinking pattern. Here is what I came up with:
Anxiety thinking: Will I have enough money?
Faith thinking: When I seek God and His ways, I can count on Him to provide what I need.
Anxiety thinking: Am I being a good wife?
Faith thinking: When I learn how to love according to God's ways, I will know that I am truly loving my
spouse. God will bring to pass His purposes in my marriage.
Anxiety thinking: Is my current job where I need to be?
Faith thinking: When I live according to God's ways, He provides the job
He wants me to have.
Anxiety thinking: Am I allowing God to work through me?
Faith thinking: When God knows I am ready to serve Him, He will open the door. He gives my
family and me peace about it.
Anxiety thinking: Should I worry about my health issues?
Faith thinking: My life is in God's hands. He decides the state of my health and only He knows the timing of my
life. My every breath and heartbeat is a gift from God. God is with me.
Anxiety thinking: Am I being a good parent?
Faith thinking: When I am focused on loving, teaching, and guiding my children as God would, then I am truly a parent. I understand that God brings to pass
His purposes in their lives and I am there to support them.
Wow! What awesome power there is in faith thinking! There is such simplicity and clarity that comes with thinking the way God would. And yes, I felt the peace of God with me as I turned my worries into faith statements, probably because I was not letting anxiety rule my life, but instead let faith lead me.
My faith thinking journey has led me to feel more confident in my decisions. The choices are easier to make and stand behind when you know that you arrived at them through faith. The realization that God has got your back when you do what He asks, is totally empowering. Can you think of a better ally to have?
I am sure that anxiety thinking will continue to challenge my faith thinking, this is human nature after all, but this exercise in changing my thought process has made a huge impact on me. I have learned that I have the power to control the amount of anxiety in my life with my faith. My worries can only control me if I allow them too.The strength that comes when I show my faith far outweighs the power of my worries.
Faith has become a tool for me to utilitze in my battle against anxiety. I can grap faith by the handle and apply it to every situation or tomorrow that comes. And I can do it, knowing that when I do, it will bring the peace of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment