Fear and its little brother, anxiety, have found their way into becoming a fixture of everyday life for most people. It’s a constant state that leaves us looking for peace and hope however we can get it. Now, add to that a global pandemic and we find ourselves as little Davids fighting a Goliath of anxiety.
We often don’t realize how major events are affecting our lives in the moment. COVID-19 has gone from a localized problem to a worldwide concern. This generates a lot of stress. Throw in school closures, trying to work from home, and a new schedule, and suddenly, anxiety is knocking at the front door. As part of dealing with fear, we have come to develop practices which help us encounter the peace of God. Some of these things include developing our trust in God, casting our cares upon Christ, and leaning into our hope which springs up from our faith. What do we do now? How do we handle fear and develop our faith in this circumstance?
First, we have to understand how the added pressure lowers our defenses and creates more avenues for fear. Recognizing that, we need to understand how news affects us. If up-to-date information helps you to assuage fears then stay informed. If your intake of news is generating more fear, limit how much you take in. Next, establish set times of silence and prayer. This guide will help: vineyardbr.org/silence.
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Allow yourself to have a bad day. Express your emotions in a healthy way and come back to a place of focusing your mind on what is good and right and just.
Talk to your children about what fear is and allow them to express what they’re experiencing without denying it or minimizing it, but guiding them towards hope. As you develop peace, your children will recognize and respond to that and you will be able to guide them to this same peace.
What’s coming in the next few months is unknown. Don’t get lost in the anxiety of trying to figure it all out. Tomorrow has enough worries, focus and be present today.
