"In an uncertain and difficult year, a record number of people searched for healing, fear, and justice." - CToday
"All these circumstances are fear-filled. That’s because we live in a fallen and broken world – a sin-stained world not as it should be. Our fearful response is what the Puritan John Flavel called 'natural fear,' an emotion even our Savior felt as He anticipated the horrors of the cross before Him." - Christina Fox
"I think there will be people who are there week one a church is back open, but also people will stay home and continue to watch online. Not only because of ease but also because of fear. And while some will say there shouldn’t be fear, there is. The job of the leader is not to wish a new reality, but to face reality and lead through it." - CL
The Subway. George Tooker, 1950.
Reposted from The Cripplegate.
With the current global situation, it’s likely that anxiety is more common than usual. There are reasons for concern in this dark hour. Anxiety can be a very difficult thing to battle. But God’s word has answers.
Whether you battle with anxiety, or love someone who does, here are a few thoughts on anxiety and the glory of God.
You might be someone who never experiences anxiety or worry. Glory to God if so. It might be helpful to understand a bit what it’s like to go through it.
I don’t have to tell those of you who have experienced it, that anxiety is an unpleasant sensation. For those who have experienced prolonged and severe bouts of it, that is a major understatement.
Anxiety could be defined as “the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen” (Oxford). Often times it can start with a slow train-wreck in the mind. One thought begins to crash after another. And another, and another. And then it feels impossible to control, as frightening and unsettling thoughts begin to compound, like that derailed train wreck. It keeps going and crashing, and it feels like you can do nothing.
"A 'conspiracy theory' is a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot, usually by powerful conspirators.... These conspiracy theories are not simply restricted to a fringe population. At least 50% of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory, ranging from the idea that the 9/11 attacks were fake to the belief that former President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S." - Intellectual Takeout
"...be careful about grounding your identity in fluctuating things that will set you up for failure and disappointment. You should be defined by God, not by your changing feelings, fickle desires, Facebook likes and reviews, or others’ assessments of you." - Facts & Trends
