Bonus song: Here’s a surprisingly peppy call to Be Still, from Canadian singer-songwriter Carolyn Arends. It’s so catchy, it’ll get in your head and remind you all day to slow down. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDfo6vDUYNA]
Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. ~Philippians 4:6, CEB*
Here are some links I’ve found recently that can speak peace to anxiety:
Photo of the Book of Isaiah page of the Bible (cropped version) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On Wednesday I mentioned some of the verses I’m using these days to keep my thoughts and emotions aligned with God.
In various stages of my life, I’ve clung to different verses.
Here are some that have meant a lot to me over the years:
“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” ‑ Isaiah 50:10b NIV
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” ‑ Isaiah 40:31 NIV
“The Lord is faithful to all His promises, and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” ‑ Psalm 145:13b,14 NIV
“He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” ‑ Isaiah 40:11 NIV
“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out.” – Isaiah 42:3a NIV
What are some verses that have meant the most to you?
Thank you to Grace Fox of Daring. Deep. Devoted. for inviting me to guest post. Here’s a sample:
In crawling out from under hurtful labels, I wanted to step into my identity as one who is shepherded by the Lord Jesus Christ, secure in His love, provision and care. I figured that I didn’t need a label of any sort other than the new name He will give me at the end. And then I heard the words… [read the rest of “Hurtful Names, Hope-filled Names“]
“It’s all in your head.” Doctors say this, maybe family too, and whether or not they intend it, you hear a dismissive tone. A put-down. A message that says “it’s your fault, you caused it, and it won’t go away until you decide to stop it.”
In all fairness, what a good doctor probably means is, “It’s outside my expertise to help you with something that’s generated in your mind.” The tone is probably genuine regret that s/he can’t help.
Let’s not get into the debate over whether it truly is generated in your mind. Doctors have been known to write off tangible physical responses to environmental and food sensitivities because the tests don’t show any proof. And other things actually are products of the mind.
The fact is, we’re still stuck with the problem until we get help. If a medical doctor can’t help, perhaps a naturopath or counsellor can—or a prayer warrior.
Today I’m thinking of the kind of thing that actually is all in the head: the lies or worldviews that we internalize and believe that limit and damage us. The garbage that needs taking out.
Cover via Amazon
For me some of that is self-pity, self-focus and just plain self. I found Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind a very effective removal tool, and I need to read it again.
It’s important to recognize the mental crud, agree with Jesus that it doesn’t belong there, and then cooperate with Him to replace it with wholesome, holy, healthy thoughts.
If it’s all in my head… that means it’s not a tangible disease or limitation. Real, but it doesn’t need a scalpel, drugs or a prosthesis to fix. It just needs realigning my mind to God and cooperating with Him.
I find that liberating and encouraging.
God bless Peter Furler for his song, “All in Your Head,” where I first heard the encouraging tone and the assurance that “it’s all in your head” means “nothing’s really holding you back” and I could push through the blockage.
Rose Harmer writes about “Rest” at Under the Cover of Prayer.
At Roller Coaster Suspense, Marcy Dyer looks at exhaustion and priorities: “Noodled.”
And at Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts reminds us that it’s not about working harder and pushing through the pain. It’s about resting in God. Read “Gifts from Your Personal Trainer.”
Bonus: In Refresh: 19 Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Life, Ron Hughes explores the value of rest. He says:
“Sabbath rest … reminds us that we did not make the world, that we are not in charge, and that everything will not grind to a halt if we reduce our activity level. Sabbath is not a reward for us getting all of our work done … we can relax in our awareness that we trust God, not ourselves, to meet our needs.” [Refresh, pp. 151-152]
At The Write Conversation, Edie Melson encourages us to Be Still and to realize that there is Time Enough.
