Bringing Light into Anxiety's Darkness

Bringing Light Into Anxiety's Darkness

When anxiety overwhelms and panic clouds your vision, where do you turn? In this episode, listen to:

• Mary Magdalene's experience at the tomb
• How grief, trauma, and overwhelming emotion made it impossible for her to recognize Jesus with her.

Discover how Jesus brings light into dark moments of worry and distress. Discover anxiety isn't a sign of weak faith. 

Find biblical truth, practical advice, and comfort in this episode, whether you're new to faith or a long-time believer facing worry.

Strength Verses to Challenge Worry and Overwhelm:

• Jeremiah 1:19b “For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
• Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
• John 12:44,46 Jesus shouted to the crowds…“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”
• Psalm 55:22  Psalm 91:14-16

By subscribing to the Anchored Not Anxious CareLetter you will be uplifted, encouraged, and reminded to show yourself self-compassion. Get devotions, evidence-based resources, anchoring practices, self-help book recommendations, and receive the love of Jesus. Thank you for listening!

Transcript

In this episode, discover how to bring light into the darkest moments of anxiety and overwhelm. Listen to Mary's experience. She had a front row seat, the agony of every breath, the deep wounds and dried blood. Tears fell, wetting her face as the skies grew dark, then darker. When his body went limp, she knew he was gone.

She stood with a heavy sigh. Suddenly the ground became violent and people ran for cover, yelling and screaming. Then it ceased, though nothing made sense. She couldn't care. Emptiness coupled with heartache and weariness consumed her. She walked toward home to wait out the next 24 hours, 

When it was time, she hurriedly traveled to where his body lay, peering into the tomb. She gasped. Gone. Vanished. He wasn't there. Anguish filled her soul. The theft of the body denied her the right to see him one last time. In her despair, she didn't realize two men approached until they asked why she cried. “Because they have taken away, my Lord, I don't know where he is.”

A third man approached as she turned to depart. He too asked about her tears and who she searched for. Blinded by her need for Him to be where he belonged, she failed to recognize not even His voice. It wasn't until Jesus captured her attention with, “Mary”, in that moment.

A fog lifted from around her. There he stood. Her Jesus, her Lord.

High stress and anxiety, cloud our vision and disrupts focus. It's no wonder Jesus had to shout Mary's name to bring her out of the darkness into the light. The crucifixion was a traumatic event for Mary, followed by the missing body. We could understand if she was frantic, overwhelmed, maybe even panicked.

In that situation, anyone might face emotional and mental overload. Uncertainty, overwhelm, anxiety and fear create darkness around and in us. Is it possible Jesus can be the light in our darkness? If not Jesus, then what will? Deep distress, dread intense worry or panic are isolating and shadowy spaces.

The darkness feels dense, like sludge. You know light makes clear what is dim. Light opens and broadens pushing darkness away and out of reach. But how is Jesus going to bring light into your life? What can transport you out of the intense shadowy moments? 

The Bible's use of the word light means God's presence, truth, righteousness, and guidance. The following verse helps explain. 

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life.” That's from John 8:12, the New Living Translation. 

Since Jesus is God and he is light, that represents God's presence. To follow Jesus represents guidance. Jesus as the light and your choice to follow Him represents truth because darkness cannot exist in light. 

There are several ways we can bring light into our anxiety, worry, and distress.

1.    You can declare emphatically that you do not belong in darkness or isolation, because that's what anxiety and overwhelm makes you believe. Bring light into your situation by stating what you believe, the truth of who you are and who you belong to. 

Say something like, “Anxiety isn't who I am. It happens to me” Or say, I believe Jesus is my light and life. Do you believe the Lord overcomes darkness? Say so. 

Statements like these illuminates lies and brings truth into your situation. 

2.    You can speak truth into your heart by believing you don't have to be ruled by deep distress, dread, intense worry, or panic.

Ask yourself how you want to live. Be think, believe you deserve what it takes to move into the light. 

Connect with a support group or a Bible study small group. You don't have to bare your soul, but just being with people brings light into your life. 

3.    Speaking God's word aloud challenges unhelpful thoughts and can reset your mental and emotional state.

 Both Moses and David were men who absolutely believed God cared about whoever loved him. 

We have Psalm 91:14-16, The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer.” This is God's promise.  

In Psalm 55:22, David says, “Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall.” This is God's promise. 

You can personalize these verses, reach for these verses when things start closing in. Also, see the transcript of this podcast for verse recommendations.

Yes, the Lord is a strong help in anxiety and overwhelm, but understand that you might require additional assistance to live and thrive well. 

Frequent and consistent worry, dread, anxiety or panic that prevents you from doing and living the way you want. That's not normal.

• Did you know generalized anxiety disorders begin slowly and can manifest around age 30. 
• It's more common in women than in men. 
• Anxiety disorders can be genetic. Research found that brain and biological processes contribute to anxiety and feelings of dread. This means anxiety is a product of your makeup, something that's out of your control.
• You are not weak or lack faith. It's not something you can just get over no matter who tells you, you can. 

If you haven't thought about adding Jesus into your life, maybe it's time. I didn't add Jesus to my life until I was struggling to crawl away from self-destructive choices. I remember thinking, maybe I do need something like Jesus for others, 

You might reach out and add other forms of help beyond God alone. There are cognitive retraining, self-help workbooks, and worry reduction workbooks written by therapists. Professional therapy is an option and is now more frequently available through telehealth and video.

Let yourself experience the gifts of healing and help from others. Mary's story is an example of how Jesus shows up in your life. Why did he reveal himself to her? Because that's what Mary needed during his life on Earth. Jesus met the emotional, mental, and physical needs of the people. He hasn't stopped.

You are never alone in the darkness if you call on the name of Jesus. 

Thank you for listening. Please recommend this podcast to someone you know who struggles with anxiety, frequent worry, or intense stress, and I hope you'll subscribe to my monthly care letter. If you do, you get a free resource. The link is in the episode description or join me on my Facebook page, Anchored Not Anxious.

Until next time.     

Reference:

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad