Healthy Living
Everything is going great. Then, without warning, your heart is racing, palms are sweaty, and you cannot sleep. You have fallen into a tangled web of anxiety. Life’s concerns can produce anxious thoughts and worries—fear of the future, dread over unsafe schools, feelings of hopelessness in marriage. Be encouraged. You can overcome these feelings of entrapment by looking to the Lord for help like Christ’s disciples in the storm (Matthew 28:23-27). Jesus can be trusted to calm the complexities and storms as you apply the Scriptures. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
You have doubts and questions. “Will my children turn out all right? Did I handle the situation okay? I should have…Why did I…?” The list goes on and on. Humorist Erma Bombeck said, “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”
Are Two Better? Fear and worry are emotions that come and go. They produce uneasiness and loneliness despite the presence of a caring spouse. One benefit of marriage is having someone to share life’s experiences with. When one mate has a tough day, the other can provide loving encouragement. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). I have spoken with women and men who have lost a spouse. The emptiness they carry is heartbreaking. Most of them confess their marriage was not perfect. Still, they miss having a mate with whom to explore life and solve problems. Use kindness to help your spouse through the difficult spins of life. Talk through anxious moments with patience and care. One tip the Mayo Clinic Health System suggests is to “Socialize. Don’t let worries isolate you from loved ones or activities.”
Run to The Source. Depend on the True Source of all help. Isaiah 41:13 promises, “For I, the LORD your God hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” Will you allow the Lord to unspin your fears and weave peace into your life? He can help you in His way and in His timing. Look to Him!
-Vanessa Jones
Vice President & Co-founder of Biblical Marriage Institute
@biblicalmarriageinstitute
