Peace amidst the Storm of Life

 Reverend G. S. Adeyemo
President, Abundant Grace Ministries
Alimosho Lagos  

Your anxiety about the future is unnecessary, for God is already there before you get there. Anxiety is a form of intense fear or worry about uncertain end. It is a crippling fear that tells you about what you cannot do, achieve, what you will fail to attain before the reality. If you listen without evaluating what you’re being told, it’s easy to become frightened. It makes you feel so uncomfortable resulting to certain unusual behavior. Sometimes it comes as a result what you hear, see or feel. When you begin to think something bad is about to happen, anxiety sets in. you become impatient to see a result. Those who are married may testify to this when your pregnant wife tells you she would go to hospital as a result of certain pressure within. Getting to the hospital waiting to see the doctor, you become anxious to get card, to be next patient to see doctor, anxious to hear the result. By the time you were asked to go back and bring baby wears and others, while the woman goes to the labour room you become more restless. What runs through your mind if for after an hour they are still in labour room? When hearing the yelling of your wife the intensity of agitation becomes so visible and you walk up and down. You want the nurse to tell you how far?  There is a strong desire for something to happen. However, your anxiety cannot do anything about the pang of the woman. It won’t bring solution except the doctor does what is necessary to be done and God approves it. 

Anxiety tears you apart between your regrets about yesterday and tomorrow uncertainty. Your mind goes one way and the body goes other ways. You are on your way to church but the mind is on way to the business at Abuja. You are listening to sermon and the same time thinking about the traffic while going home at the end of the service. Sometimes you are overwhelmed with how, why, when so intense that you lose appetite and sleep. Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12: 22, 26. Do you know that fear of failure drives away faith deflates courage and thereby prevents victorious living? It is an enemy of miracles.

Let us consider some of the consequences of anxiety:

1. It blurs one’s vision: anxiety gives false impressions. There are shadows of what never existed. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." John 20: 15

2. Anxiety deprives you from living a faith-filled victorious life. “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, and “Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Luke 8: 24-26

3. Anxiety kills. Since it prevents faith-filled living, and the Bible says, the just shall live by faith, anxiety can result in death. It has led many to committing suicide. In anxiety, you can’t retain information. That is dangerous to life for you won’t be able to take informed decisions but sometimes overreact.

How to win over your worries and anxiety:

1. Take responsibility for discovering why you are anxious. Know the basis for anxiety. 

2. Stop carrying it alone. Talk to God in prayer about the situation

3. Confess positively about the situation

4. Invite Jesus into your situation. 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Luke 8: 23-26.