Anxiety and How Christ Managed His Time.

If you're anything like me, you take on too much! Before you know it your plates overflowing and your anxiety levels are looking for the hold in the ozone layer so it can go just a little higher. Is it that I have trouble saying "no" to people. Not really!

The bible says that believers will not be subjected to trials that they cannot make it through. Perhaps the anxiety in this case is God's way of providing a threshold warning that we are over-extending ourselves and robbing oursleves of precious time with God, and robbing Him of ourselves. In my experience this almost always results in anxiety.

So how do we prevent anxiety? The type of anxiety I am referring to is situational. It is more or less caused by environmental factors like workload and responsibility. Therefore, the most effective way of manipulating the level of this situational anxiety is to make a change in your workload and responsibility.

We can see throughout Jesus' ministry examples of how He maintained balance in his life. You see often, where Jesus would simply walk away from the crowds to be alone. Jesus was no stranger to setting boundaries. He knows that boundaries are nessessary to living in peace and maintaining a focus on the divine!

We know where we need to set boundaries. All too aften we are afraid of hurting or disappointing people by saying "No". As a result, we are easily swayed into engaging in some reponsibility or activity we know will cause us to put-off the important things.

Chances are if you are expreiencing high anxiety, you know what some of the main causes are. You may not know conciously, but with a little thought, you will know. Maybe you'll deny the real causes because the corrective action is unattractive. In that case you'll have to choose between the short-term pain of fixing the problem, or the long-term pain of the continuing anxiety. When you are absolutely sure (not by feeling but by God's Truth) that you know what needs to be done to fix things, DO NOT hesitate. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to do!

Don't be afraid to set boundaries. It's kind of like loving discipline for yourself and your situation instead of your kids(to use a parental analogy).

Anxiety does not always have it's foundations in a lack of Faith. Like depression, it can also be a result of physical and checmical reactions in the brain. However, trust that God will use your anxiety for the your good in the end..."And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

For a good book on dealing with anxiety from a personal and biblical perspective check this out:Don't Forget To Look Up : A Christian's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks