Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6–7 (NIV)
Recently I received an e-mail with a radiology report of an X-ray, and there was an unexpected finding with scary-sounding medical jargon. I told myself that if it was anything serious my doctor would call…but I kept wondering about the abnormality and what it meant.
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Since it was the weekend, I couldn’t make a quick call to the clinic to ask my doctor about the results. My husband suggested I ask his brother, a doctor, about it, but I didn’t want to pester him and was also afraid of sounding silly. Instead I searched for information online, which only ratcheted up my anxiety. Finally, I called my brother-in-law.
He quickly reassured me that it was a harmless quirk and a common finding. Relief flooded me. A hundred terrible outcomes—invented by my wild imagination—all dissolved. The experience made me realize how many times anxiety coils around me, subtly squeezing tighter and tighter. What if readers don’t like my next book? What if a friend finds me annoying?
What if my children wander from faith? What if my husband is in a car accident? What if society crumbles? Like subtle signs on an X-ray, I can see there are problems, but I don’t fully know what they mean. In my ignorance I imagine the worst. Until I remember there is someone I can call on. Jesus understands the truth and reassures me all will be well. Even better, He has the power to bring change to the situation, or change to my heart so I can bear it with more grace until His answer unfolds.
Faith Step: Choose one source of anxiety in your life right now. Discuss it with Jesus, and ask for His diagnosis.
