Finding Peace in Christ During Anxious Times

“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”1 Peter 5:7 While it is a wonderful time of year celebrating Christmas, it can also be a very anxious time for a lot of people. Some people are dealing with a lot of “firsts” this Christmas…first Christmas without a loved one comes to mind. Anxiety is a strange thing though. It seems to creep up on me when I am least expecting it and unwelcomely can take up space in my mind. It can often be paralyzing. Other times I’ll stress out about something excessively, which causes me to fix my thoughts upon myself and the waves of worry seem to never end. Whether the anxiety is legitimate or I just become frustrated, I have learned that the only things that have freed me from this mess I wander into are the promises of the Scriptures. Now I am not saying that anxiety can be cured with a simple reading of the Word, but fixating our thoughts on Christ and the Bible instead of ourselves can prove to be life altering. I’ve tried to do it on my own in the past and it just gets worse. Although we are not promised a life that is free from anxiety, we can rest assured knowing that our God is fighting for us, He is our almighty fixer. Look, the world tries to give us all kinds of reasons to worry and be anxious, but when we look to God, we find authentic, everlasting peace that this world simply cannot take or replace. Get in the Bible, look to Christ, and trust in the assurances provided to us. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can fight anxiety and receive the peace in Christ that God has us.I wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas! Stay warm….brrrrrr!Be Nice, Grace Wins.