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Chill. I think you need to relax.

It’s because you find yourself in knots way too frequently. On really bad days, you can’t even suck in a decent breath. You have this sense of constriction, of the world closing in on you.

This is unpleasant (see my gift of understatement working here?)

Temperamentally, I’m not given to anxiety. Depression, well, yeah. But to spend my days bent out of shape? Nope. I just don’t find that much to get all agitated about.

I’ll tell you what is my kryptonite is along these lines. I feel that there are way too many times when I’ve wandered away from God. It isn’t that I’ve turned my back on the faith. Nothing like that. It’s rather an aimless drift, a sense of anchorlessness, of knowing where I should be and what I should be doing, and knowing that I’m not there.

I’m I hard on myself? Oh heck yeah. I can’t bear the thought of God being disappointed in me. I don’t want to let Him down. I want to please Him, because He’s daddy.

How about you? What’s your kryptonite?

• You second guess your motives and your actions, wondering in hindsight if you handled situations right.
• You have this sense of aimlessness.
• You wonder if you’re fulfilling your purpose in life.
• Heck, you’re trying to figure out what your purpose is.
• You feel indecisive and wishy-washy.
• You wonder if you’re adequately meeting the needs of those you care about.
• You can’t focus or stay on task because you’re afraid of failure.

If you’re a person of faith, then these issues are even more acute. After all, you are supposed to be standing on the Solid Rock. You’re supposed to be steadfast and unwavering. You absolutely shouldn’t be stressed … as you often say, “God’s got this!”

Of course He does. Unquestionably. Then why isn’t that a reality for you? Why is anxiety such an integral part of your temperament?

Guess what. I think you need to relax. You are just a fragile human being, who changes as much as the weather.

That is not a weakness. It’s just the acknowledgement of a reality. We are hard-wired to adapt to different circumstances and environments. We are going to have good days and bad days. Maybe even good hours and bad hours. All sorts of factors play into our shifting moods and feelings.

There are some people, perhaps, that are so steadfast that nothing deters them from their forward march. They are invincible. Aspire to that, if you will. I do think that’s attainable. But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit your marks every time.

That is, of course, not an excuse to be mediocre and ordinary. There’s no honor in that. I’m just pointing out that you have to be self-forgiving. And repentant – if you habitually screw up in one area, that is NOT a good life plan.

Beware of setting some ridiculous standards for yourself. Aim high, certainly. Don’t tolerate known sin in your life. Don’t be proud of being average. But keep it real.

I’m afraid many of us have been tricked by the Enemy into judging our own flesh.

In other words, we view ourselves through human eyes. I can assure you, that’s a no-fail way to feel anxious because you’re convinced that you will never amount to anything.

Do not buy into that lie. Satan knows that if he can get us to focus on ourselves with all our frailties, we’ve done his work for him. He loves to see us sidelined, convinced that we are losers, committed to a life distant and aloof from God.

Well now, grasp this:

Your faith is based on His grace and not your feelings.

The pressure is off. You don’t have to perform to be right with God. What is inherent in you that makes you all that special anyway? We are all frail creatures of dust. But because God  is gracious beyond human understanding,  He loves us just the way we are. There’s not anything you can do to make yourself any more loved by Him.

Remember, your feelings will change. You’ll have those days when you feel like a leaf in the wind.

In spite of how you feel, God does indeed have you in His grip. That’s where faith comes in – you anchor yourself in the reality of who He is and what He’s done. Grace covers all your anxiety, all your uncertainty, all your questioning, and all your confusion. He understands. Oh yes, He does.

I think you need to relax.