A "Worry" List??

Recently I have had the opportunity to hear some presentations on clinical depression. There was a lot of helpful information given, and some not so helpful. The presentations were from a purely clinical perspective, with no "Christian" influence.

One aspect of depression that was discussed was the anxiety that often accompanies it. For some people, their levels of anxiety can keep them from sleeping at night, and make their daytime hours miserable. I can be a worrier, and I know what it is like to lay awake mulling over problems and "what if's". Silly waste of time. But we all do it, at one time or another.

Anyway, the solution that was presented to this distracting "worrying" that we can all succumb to was to make a "Worry List." You were to keep a list of all the things that were causing you distress or apprehension. Then once a day, for a time that you had set aside for that purpose, you were to worry over the items on the list. Kind of like getting it out of your system. Supposedly this would somehow take care of the problem, and you could carry on, worry free, with your day and your night.

I had to smile to myself as the presenter explained the details of this strategy against angst. "How bizarre," I said to myself. "Instead of a prayer list, I am to make a list of things to worry about." Of course the scripture that came to mind right away was Philippians 4:6:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In hindsight, I should have stood up and offered that verse as an alternate method to combat anxiety. I did, however, question why prayer hadn't been mentioned. The presentor quickly agreed that prayer was indeed another way to relieve one's anxiety. "Especially," I interjected, " if the one praying knows that there actually is Someone listening that can take care of the problem for them." (I hate it when I read all those stats about how "prayer" is good for stress. Apparantly it doesn't matter who or what you pray to. Could be a tree or your long dead granny. Just so long as you "put out there" what is on your mind. Sad, really, when there is a God Who will hear our prayers if we would but acknowledge Him for Who He really is.)

I tried to imagine how effective it would be for me to make a Worry List, and then ruminate over all the potential catastrophes that I might list there. Most likely I would drive myself to further anxiety. Or perhaps I would realize how silly it was to worry about those things and just tear the list up. Either way, I am glad that we know a God Who invites us to cast all of our cares upon Him, because He cares for us.

I don't know what it is like to have the type of anxiety that some people suffer with, even to the point of having panic attacks. For that I am thankful. Those conditions can be very debilitating and difficult. When those nasty "what ifs" creep up on me (I call them the 'nay saying gnats'), I sometimes start to dwell on them. The best thing to do in that case is to bring it to my Father. And not just in a perfunctionary way. When I am truly burdened, I pray back to God Who He says He is in His Word. Not that I need to remind Him, but I do need to remind myself. Those things that I worry about tend to shrink in size as I list all of His attributes, and the promises He has made to be our high tower, rock of refuge, defender and shepherd. I think this little verse makes a beautiful promise, and one that we need to remember in those times of anxiety:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

Sometimes we are faced with real dilemmas, and life or death situations. It is not sinful to be afraid. That is a natural response. It's at those times especially that we realize our weakness, our inability to control many of life's outcomes. And it is at those times that our Father in Heaven proves His love and faithfulness, in bringing us peace in the midst of fear, because we know and trust Him.