Trusting in the Almighty

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God seems to be working on me continuously with the issue of trust. He has grown me in that area for years, and I have learned through experience that complete trust in the Almighty is not easy. I can think of many situations in which I became anxious in how I could control the outcome - situations like the decision to start a family (against many odds of a safe pregnancy), a sudden house search and move (while I was 7 months pregnant), complications during a twin pregnancy (31-34 weeks along), our twin boys' month-long stay in the NICU, and a desperately-needed full-time job for my husband. These are all examples of times when God was whispering so very gently in my ear - "Trust Me!" In every experience thus far, after I surrendered all worries to God, everything has fallen into place. It may not have been the way I expected, or even the path that I would have chosen, but it was perfect in the end, because His hand was on our life.

The cure for basic anxiety (a "chronic illness" in today's society) is trust in the Almighty....but how do we get there? In order to get to that point of trusting God radically, we need to bring ourselves to His throne (prayer) and check the attitude of our hearts (repentance). When our hearts are right with the Lord, our daily lives will be transformed, which affects how we live our lives on a daily basis. We have to live humbly and take the focus off of ourselves, living with the fruits of the spirit evident in our daily lives. The act of trusting Him completely will bring us the peace that "surpasses all comprehension" (Phil. 4:7).

I struggle with worrying over the big and little things in life. It's a constant battle, but God keeps me in check. Here are some scriptures that deal with the area of trust and how we are to  refocus our hearts and be renewed in Him:

(NAS, emphasis mine)

Psalm 73:23-26

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand, 24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done."

~ C.S. Lewis

* Please know that I am a big proponent of mental health awareness campaigns, and I believe anxiety that gets severely out of control (not at the individual's own fault, but the malfunctioning of the body's firing-mechanisms) should be treated by someone in professional health care. It should not, however, be a "simple fix."