How to Combat Anxiety and Bullies At the Same Time

Philippians 4:4-9

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

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What is one name that you hate to be called?

I HATE being called stupid. It makes me shut down immediately. And whenever I do something wrong and mess up in a really big way, I just feel so dumb. And then, Satan comes whispering in my ear how seriously dumb I am. Over, and over, and over again. Until I can’t function properly.

Maybe you hate being called lazy, or chubby, or ugly, or something else that is not uplifting (or true).

Or maybe for you it’s not a name so much as it’s a state of being: alone, broke, depressed, unemployed. And then you get this sinking feeling that you are going to be stuck like this FOREVER. And then you feel like you can’t function. Which will not help out your current situation.

The remedy to get out of a funk is in the passage above. Paul is writing to the church in Philippi and these words are so simple, yet so full of life and truth.

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. Not sometimes, not depending on your circumstances, and not according to how you are feeling at the moment. Always.

LET YOUR GENTLENESS BE EVIDENT TO ALL. Respond to every situation with a gentle heart and spirit. This might mean being gentle with someone who has made you mad, and it might also be a reminder to be gentle to yourself. We are meaner to ourselves than any bully could ever be.

THE LORD IS NEAR. Sorry to be yelling at you, with all the CAPS. But this is so important —Jesus is coming back! The situation you are presently facing is not an eternal one. It is temporary. And it’s probably already almost finished. Take heart, stay strong, rejoice in Jesus.

Now, read the rest of the passage again with an open heart and receive these words as water for your thirsty soul. They will extinguish the false voices in your head, and real voices around you that are tearing you down and keeping you from being able to function properly. Fill your mind and heart with the truth. Fill it with things that are lovely, and God-honoring. Be thankful always, and know that God cares deeply for you and sees you right where you are. And if you will let him, he will bring you out of where you are so that you aren’t stuck there.

Today’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, Thank you for your Word! Thank you for loving me so deeply! Would you please help me to not be anxious, but to be able to cast all my fears and troubles at your feet? Would you please fill me with your peace that surpasses all understanding, and help me to fill my mind with your truth, and your goodness, and your peace? Amen.