Choosing Gratitude in an Age of Anxiety
Scientific studies have proven that your brain cannot respond to anxiety and gratitude at the same time. You are either experiencing anxious and negative feelings or gratefulness and the positive emotions that come with it. They cannot simultaneously exist together. Beyond this being a biological issue for our minds, it is a spiritual reality for us too.
The word “anxiety” means “to be in pieces.” It’s having a mind that is divided and distracted, troubled about many things, not at peace, and lacking steady confidence. “Worry” is defined as “absence of thought.” So how do we combat this miserable heart condition and become more intentionally thoughtful and focused on the most important thing?
God’s words are very direct and to the point in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Instead of passively listening to your heart and letting your mind spiral out of control with anxious thoughts, what if you started talking to or commanding your soul with Truth? You and I must constantly be reminded of who we are in Jesus and how He has rescued us. Bringing your worries to God, laying your requests before Him, and thanking him in advance for what He is going to do is moving away from anxiety. This “pre-emptive gratitude is an expression of your confidence and trust in God’s wise and good control of your life.”*
The promised outcome of this gratitude practice is the opposite of anxiety: “...the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Even if your requested answers to your prayers are different than what you are expecting, you can trust that God knows what He is doing in the ordering of your life.
Anxiety is a spiritual crisis. It is an attack on your peace and joy. The world around you would love nothing more than for you to be discontent, restless, and constantly searching for things that will satisfy and bring peace to your soul. However, through Jesus, the antidote to anxiety is freely lavished on you through His rescuing grace. Your heart’s only response is gratitude, which leads to a calm and contented heart at rest.
Gratitude changes your focus from what you lack to what you already have in Jesus. It’s never too late to start (or restart) your gratitude practice. Because anxiety is a part of your life in a broken world, gratitude is a lifelong practice of reposturing your heart to give thanks. Consider trying one of the gratitude tools below and invite your family and friends to join you by sharing these resources with them too.
*Tim Keller, The Biblical Secret to Overcoming Anxiety
THANKSGIVING SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
Don’t fret or worry.
Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises
shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it,
a sense of God’s wholeness,
everything coming together for good,
will come and settle you down.
It’s wonderful what happens
when Christ displaces worry
at the center of your life.
