Spirit

Feeling Anxious? Believe in Something Bigger Than Yourself

I recently felt anxious for a few days. 

Anxious about money. About my career. About my future. During my morning time of meditation and prayer on one of those days, I talked about those feelings with God. As I did, some lyrics to an unfinished song I’d written years ago came back to me:

If You carved the mountains

If You formed the valleys 

If You filled the oceans

You can care for me

If You call the sunrise

If You paint the starlight

If You hold the whole world

You can care for me

As I reflected on those words, I felt myself grow calmer. If God is who I think God is, then I’m going to be okay. My financial needs, my career, my future will work out. Do I need to plan wisely? Yes. Do I need to work diligently? Yes. Do I need to be anxious? If my beliefs are well placed, no. 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

the Bible, philippians 4:6,7 (New living translation)

I found relief from my anxiety by believing in something bigger than myself. For me, that’s God. For you God may be a non-starter. I completely understand and respect that position. The “bigger than yourself” principle can still apply. Consider a group, an organization, a philosophy, or what twelve-step programs call your “higher power,” whatever you choose that to be. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in, to hold onto, to lean on when the anxious times come. Make it something worthy of your trust. If you do, you’ll find relief and take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

Matt McMann

Matt McMann writes books for children and the personal development blog Becoming Yourself (becomingyourself.net).

Share
Published by
Matt McMann

Recent Posts

The Intersection of Beauty and Despair

It was a captivating sight.  Our cruise ship slowly glided beneath Golden Gate Bridge on…

5 days ago

Finding Stability in Turbulent Times

It was an impressive sight. The howling wind whipped the Pacific into a roiling mass…

2 weeks ago

Find Peace with Let Them Come, Let Them Be, Let Them Go

Something about this quote caught my heart: Let them come, let them be, let them…

3 weeks ago

Finding a “Still Water” Mind

It’s been a turbulent month.  An exhausting week of author school visits capped by a…

4 weeks ago

Want a More Fulfilling Life? Embrace Your Mortality

It’s happening quickly. Two years ago, there were eight people on my dad’s side of…

1 month ago

Define Your Own Win

I was driven.  Once I had the goal of being a traditionally published author in…

1 month ago