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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: TEACH (11/29/18)
“I told my daughter she has to control her own mind,” my friend Eva said as she ended her story.
Stunned, I stared at her a moment. “Your daughter is fortunate that you’re teaching her that,” I said. “My mother didn’t know how to control her own mind, so she certainly never taught me. Teach me how, Eva. Anxiety has been my master as long as I can remember.”
Now she looked stunned. “You don’t learn that in one conversation,” she said. She looked uncomfortable, then quickly changed the subject. She was a Christian, like me. Why couldn’t she help me?
About three years later, anxiety got such an upper hand on me that I quit my job. Professionals don’t quit. They resign and give several weeks’ notice. I did not fulfill that obligation to my employer. In fact, I left in such a way that I was advised to seek professional help. To the counselor with a reputation for helping people master anxiety, is said, “I need help. Anxiety just cost me my job and my reputation and my self-respect. Can you teach me how to control it?”
He also could not.
Jobless and afraid, I heard a television minister announce a book he was selling about managing anxiety God’s way. My daughter, who was quite concerned about me, bought the book for me.
That minister taught me to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” He said believers should praise the Lord as continuously as possible. Focus on Jesus, the cross, and the Word of God. It sounded so easy—just present my thoughts to Christ for capturing. Though it took practice, it wasn’t difficult to learn.
No matter how threatening situations around me became I praised God. I thanked Him. I prayed to Him. When my thoughts strayed away from Him, I worked to consciously pull them back to Him. Often, I had to do this multiple, multiple times.
I studied the Word of God. I taped Scriptures everywhere—on the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, my dressing table mirror, the coffee pot—any place I supposed my thoughts might need rescuing. I quickly learned that I wasn’t fighting anxiety alone. God was with me. When my anxious thoughts multiplied within me, He reminded me to bring them back to Him. He reminded me to “Lift up your head.” Often I move about with my head bent forward, but when this verse taught me to lift up my head and see people’s faces, leaves turning autumn colors, clouds hanging out in the immense sky. Immediately my thoughts are captured by the Lord.
Television helped if I kept it tuned to the right channels. Many channels carry praise and worship music, preaching, and other faith-directed programs. These helped me keep my mind focused on the Lord rather than on the difficulties and worries that my mind preferred to wrestle with.
I learned to live each moment like a little child. Certainly, we must plan, but living always in tomorrow and the might-be’s is stressful. The Lord taught me to focus on now and to enjoy this moment. Praising Him for what was happening now captivated my mind increased my pleasure in both Him and the present.
I learned managing anxiety required me to allow the Lord teach me to positively trust in Him. No matter what I faced, I praised the Lord. I told Him that I understood that everything was according to His plan for His glory. I praised Him for going ahead of me and preparing the way. I praised Him because He knew the outcome already. I praised Him because He loved me more than anyone else and He loved my loved ones beyond my comprehension, which meant He wanted His perfect will for them. This greatly relaxed my anxious thoughts, as I knew my prayers for their good were according to His will.
Keeping my thoughts captive to Him has changed my life. Despite my unprofessional way of relinquishing an enviable position, the Lord restored me to another job. There is stress in this one also—but only when I fail to capture my thoughts to Christ.
As I said, it took practice to learn to manage anxiety, but it wasn’t difficult to learn. After all, Jesus is the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit is the Teacher. What Eva could not teach me, The Word and the Teacher were more than able to teach.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Claudia Barrington
12/06/18
I can relate to your testimony. Thirty-two years ago, I had panic attacks every single day for a solid year straight. I had a 1 year old son- my first child. I was calling TV prayer lines every night and blowing into paper bags so I wouldn't hyperventilate and pass out...daily. I overcame in a similar way as you did, with a lot of prayer and Word of God. His perfect love certainly does casts out fear, doesn't it? One day in particular, He answered all my prayers in one dramatic moment. It was beginning to happen again and my baby was in the kitchen with me. As the attack began (and that is what it is - an ATTACK) and fear began to overtake me, as an act of my WILL, I took my focus off of how I felt, and turned my full attention towards a sink full of dirty dishes. To my amazement, it didn't happen! First time in a year! I was so shocked to realize that I had control over the fear, that I could focus on the attack and let it happen, or I could turn my focus elsewhere and stop it! Ha! I've never ever had another panic attack in 32 years no matter what was going on in my life. I overcame, just like you...Praise God! We are MORE than conquerors through Him that loves us. Since then, I have spoken with many people through the years that have panic attacks. Its always a hidden, lurking, undealt-with fear of some sort ready to literally attack at any moment. I have been able to help many to overcome with my testimony. So will you. Thank you for sharing.
Claudia Barrington
12/06/18
The first time you think you're having a heart attack, and every single system in your body fails. Right? I called an ambulence the first time. God is good. May the Lord draw anyone that hasn't learned to over come 'the fear' yet to your article. He can even use the enemy's 'fear' tactics to draw people to Himself - the Prince of Peace. May He do so, in Jesus name. Amen.
Claudia Barrington
12/06/18
And I love the way you focused on the soluton rather than the hideous symptoms. You provided the answer. Much needed article.
Larry Whittington
12/07/18
God works in mysterious ways. Maybe the stress was God planned so you would be released (you quit) from an area of employment that would have taken you away from Him.

Thank Him and praise Him now for how he is guiding you to walk closer to him.
Terrie Ellington 
12/07/18
Powerful testimony and beautifully written. I'm blessed by it and I've gained a new way to minister 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 to others. Also, had you not experienced anxiety to this magnitude you wouldn't have been able to write this powerful testimony that testifies to a powerful and glorious God Who's able to reach into our deepest anxiety, fears, depression etc. and save us. I'm made better by Your testimony and your testimony brings 2 Corinthians 1:6 to life. I'm able to endure trials because you endured and shared how you endured. Thanks so much for sharing.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
12/13/18
This is a great article. I can totally relate. You give some great advice. I liked how you showed what worked for you and shared that instead of focusing on people who can't control anxiety. You touched my heart.