Anxious About Anxiety
Welcome to the Solidarity podcast,
where we share stories to connect with one another, find comfort in life’s challenges & to celebrate the solidarity that is..
being a woman.
Today I’m here with my six month old son, Hayden, so if you hear him in the background that’s what that is.
So today we’re going to talk about anxiety.
Anxiety is a troublesome thing.
One day you think you’re doing great and the next you’re spiraling into an abyss of troubling thoughts and your body encompasses what I can only describe as an internal earthquake. Everything is rumbling, shaking the pictures off the walls, but there’s only tiny cracks that emerge- barely noticeable to the naked eye- even to those who know you the best.
As a Christian who has struggled with anxiety for most of my life, I have often felt ashamed. I felt like I was sinning, like I was in the wrong and like God wouldn’t be able to do anything with me because of how anxious I was. I felt like I couldn’t control my anxiety and how could He be upset with me for something I couldn’t control? I felt stuck and frustrated. That was until recently when I dug in a little deeper.
I obviously do what I can to lessen my anxiety because it’s not fun. I don’t wear it like a proud badge or use it to get attention- despite what people have said in the past. And if that’s something you’ve had to deal with, I’m so sorry. Nobody should ever make you feel like your mental health is something that you’re using just to get attention because that’s just a horrible thing to put on somebody. So if you’ve experienced that, I’m so sorry. Because I have and I know how terrible it feels. Sometimes it’s really bad and sometimes that’s around other people and that’s just the reality of it. As I’ve gotten older and matured I’ve been able to get a handle on it a bit better but that’s only through having experienced it. I’ve been able to use natural remedies to calm my body and take care of the chemical aspect of it. I’ve used oils, supplements and taken certain measures to not eat certain foods or drink a lot of caffeine or alcohol- that helps a lot. But as far as the mental and spiritual aspect of it, I’ve had to give that back to God on the daily. It’s been a mixture of being conscious of what I allow into my life and my brain which means filtering out the people I spend time with, music I listen to and shows I watch. Making conscious choices like that make me feel a lot better and prevent situations from happening or thoughts coming into my mind that would trigger an anxious reaction.
I’ve also used coping mechanisms that if I start to slip into that state, I can bring myself out of it using oils, breathing techniques, reciting/reading scripture and reaching out to grounding individuals in my life who I know will bring me back down to earth. Once I’ve started to calm down, or in the process of doing so, prayer helps immensely. Having God remind me of who I am, who He is and what I need to do is extremely calming.
*Hayden yawns*
Are you tired?
So now that you know all of that, I want to address something: the scripture that actually made me anxious about my anxiety.
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Now I’m sure you’ve heard it, especially if you have anxiety because it’s the passage that a lot of Christians throw at you, usually when you’re in a panic, as if it will simply put a bandaid on it and instantly make it go away simply because God says not to be something.
I find that typically those are the people that have never experienced anxiety, or at least to that extent, and they’re only referring to the first part of the verse instead of giving space AND grace to process the body’s physical reaction and then implementing the second part of that verse and guiding that individual through prayer to find peace. Here’s the thing:
When God said “be anxious for nothing” it didn’t mean that you would never be anxious & that He expected you not to even enter into that state.
It’s a condition, it’s a natural response- He doesn’t expect us to be perfect or superhuman, only He is & we cannot be healed from that until we are dead in our bodies & made new in heaven. That’s the reality of things.
But what he meant was to finish that verse- be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
He saying baby girl I’ve got it, I’ve got you. I’m not expecting you to not ever feel anxious- I’m telling you that you don’t have to STAY anxious.
Christian culture often says “be anxious for nothing” - period. But that’s not what He’s saying. He’s not saying be ashamed if it happens. He’s not saying you aren’t a good Christian, a good follower if you get caught up in your head. He knew that would happen. He created us- it’s human nature. But he didn’t leave us there wondering what went wrong and trying to come up with solutions.
He said, you get anxious? Pray.
Make your requests known to me.
Tell me about it.
Don’t store it all up & wait for your weekly therapy session, tell me all about it NOW. I will take that pit in your stomach & I will flip it on its head & turn it into beautiful mountains that we’re going to climb TOGETHER.
Don’t let it marinate & eat you up & take you away from the joy that I have for you because I already endured the ultimate anxiety.
He said don’t let Satan steal your joy by making you anxious & sit in it.
Pray. Pray. Pray.
List your blessings.
Come to me with thanksgiving & I will turn that sorrow into joy because nothing is impossible with me.
Your brain will tell you to doubt. Your brain will tell you that I can’t do it. But that’s because your brain has got evil chirping into your ear because the evil one wants you to stay in & sit in that despair & darkness. But what you can’t see is just around the corner there is beautiful light that is ready to shine on your face & bring a new day. All it takes is a few words.
Joy comes in the morning but it also comes at any time of the day that you call on my name.
When you are weak I am strong.
So love, do not be anxious about getting anxious.
He’s bigger than that.
He isn’t holding you to standards you can’t keep. He held Jesus to those already because He knows we couldn’t keep them & He wants us in His presence that badly that He already took care of the problem we couldn’t even see coming.
So stop holding yourself to that standard & then beating yourself up when you can’t quite get there.
When you can’t quite pull yourself out of it.
When you can’t quite find the joy.
When you just feel hopeless.
Know that within moments you can find peace, joy, & a renewed mind by just calling out.
Because won’t He do it?
From the inside out He will do it.
He’s done it before & He will do it again.
He is faithful.
Thank you so much for listening in this week, I encourage you to keep coming back for more encouragement and to find solidarity in our shared experiences. If you’d like to share your own story, I would love to have you on. Just shoot me a message on Instagram - @riley_quin or send me an email- riley@rileyq.com and we’ll talk!
Don’t forget to share this with a woman who you want to encourage today, share this on Facebook @solidaritypodcast or Instagram @riley_quin and tag me so we can get the word out on social media and if you’re feeling it, subscribe and leave a review to help get it out to others on the algorithm who need to be shown some solidarity! Thanks again for listening and be sure to check back next Wednesday for a new episode!
As always, I’m so glad you’re here.
You’re wanted, needed and loved.
I see you, I hear you and you my love, by the grace of God, you are enough.