The Sky is (NOT) Falling!

Phil 4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We can choose what we dwell on in our minds. We can choose worry or peace. Indeed, there are times when seeking help for our anxious thoughts is necessary. A safe friend. Trusted counselor. Some things need to be processed.

And then there is anxiety or worry about the future that may or may not be true. What If….??

Or the anxiety that comes from catastrophizing.  In the classic children’s story, Chicken Little had an apple fall on his head. Assuming the worst, he ran around town, claiming, “The sky is falling!” 

Instead, he could have acknowledged the bump on his head, asked God for wisdom as to what is truly happening, while not catastrophizing or thinking the worst. Then say thank you for the delicious snack.

Sometimes our anxious thoughts assume the sky is falling.  Try not to run around in your head like Chicken Little.

Reflection:  What are you anxious about?  What is true and what is not?

Practice:  Make three columns. In one, list your anxious thoughts.

In column two, write what is true.

In the third, label it Unknown. Could be true. Could not be true.  Give thanks for what is true.

With what you wrote in the third column, hold a “Valid Concern” until you know for sure if this will happen or not.

For example, “I feel anxious about ______. What is true is _________. What is not true is _________. Help me wait until You (God) show me what is true or what to do. Until then, thank you for _______.”