How to Cope With Worry, Fear, and Anxiety
by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Don’t miss the Live Interview with Michelle at the end of this post.
As long as I live, I will never forget the day I heard the words “I hate to tell you this, but you need to get your affairs in order.”
My husband and I were parents to a precious little toddler boy. We still considered ourselves honeymooners. We had the rest of our lives ahead of us—or so we thought.
And now we had a doctor telling us the worst thing imaginable…that my husband was expected to die of cancer, and that we might as well prepare for the inevitable.
Learning to handle fear, worry, and anxiety is a process.
I’d like to tell you that we were all full of faith that never doubted or wavered, or that we never shed an anxious tear. But that might just as well be Hollywood. From the moment we left that doctor’s office, worries, fears, and anxieties pervaded almost every waking thought I had.
“What if treatment doesn’t work?”
“What if my husband dies?”
“What if I become a widow?”
“What if my son has to grow up without a father?”
“What if I can no longer afford our home, or our vehicles, or daycare?”
And on, and on, and on my mind went. There was seemingly no end to my worries and concerns.
I have learned both about my patients in my private practice, and about myself, that when we start going down the “What if…?” path, it’s a slippery slope into worry, fear, and anxiety. I didn’t do a very good job guarding my heart against such toxic emotions back then, but I’ve learned a great deal in the intervening years.
For example, I’ve learned that our emotions are the outward manifestation of the thoughts we believe. So if we believe that God has left us, or that everything is up to us, or that God can’t be trusted, or that the future is uncertain, then we’ll experience worry, fear, and anxiety.
My husband underwent treatment, and thankfully, his doctor’s predictions did not have the final word. But much to our dismay, approximately 15 years after his original diagnosis, he received another diagnosis of cancer, this time a “secondary cancer,” meaning that it was the result of the chemotherapy treatments he had taken for the first cancer diagnosis.
This time, however, I was in a much different place. God had used the intervening 15 years to teach me about the power of our thoughts and the power of our words.
The power of truth in dealing with fear, worry, and anxiety.
Proverbs 23:7 teaches, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
2 Timothy 1:7 teaches, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
In those intervening years, I learned the importance of being very careful what thoughts I let into my mind. I learned to pay attention to where those thoughts came from, and to check to see if they lined up with God’s word or not.
Having been a mental health practitioner for decades, I knew that worry, fear, and anxiety were considered the common cold of mental illness. Over 264 million people are diagnosed with anxiety disorders worldwide, and that’s just those who seek out medical care. That doesn’t account for those who don’t seek medical attention or deal with the less severe every day worries and concerns. But the truth is, as a society, we’ve come to accept worry, fear, and anxiety just like we accept the common cold…as something that is inevitable.
Peace is God’s antidote for anxiety.
The problem is, that’s not what God says. Hundreds of times in the Bible, God tells us “Do not fear,” “Do not worry for tomorrow,” and “Be anxious for nothing.” You see, worry, fear, and anxiety is not our portion. Peace is.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
As the antidote to worry, fear, and anxiety, Jesus offered His peace. But the enemy of our soul would love nothing more than to tangle us up in his web of worry, fear, and anxiety to choke all peace out of our hearts and minds. But God gave us the weapons of power, love, and a sound mind to fight back against worry, fear, and anxiety to reclaim the peace He promised.
Part of the power and sound mind entailed being very careful what I spoke.
Proverbs 18:21 teaches, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
It’s very easy to fall into a habit of saying things like “I’m just afraid that…” or “I’m worried about…” and not realize the power we give our words.
In those intervening years, I had to learn to be very intentional about the things I allowed myself to think, and the words I not only spoke, but also those I received from others. I also learned that part of having a sound mind required that I intentionally choose my focus, which often meant focusing on the truth rather than the facts. Facts can be a slippery slope to worry, fear, and anxiety, but God’s truth will lead to peace.
For example, the facts were that my husband was given a diagnosis of cancer, but the truth was that God is still our healer, and even if He didn’t heal my husband this side of heaven, He would provide for us. The facts might be that the bank balance is zero, but the truth is that God cares for you and will provide for you more than the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.
The next time you find yourself battling worry, fear, or anxiety, use the power of God’s word, the perfect love that casts out fear, and the sound mind that God has given you to fight back against that spirit of fear, and reclaim that peace God promises.
[tweetthis]Because of Christ, #PeacePrevails! @Dr.MichelleBengtson via @GingHarrington[/tweetthis]
About Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Dr. Bengtson studied neuroscience and is board certified in clinical neuropsychology. She established her own clinical practice in the Dallas area. From her professional and personal life, she recognized a deep lack of understanding of the call to “renew our minds” and the transformational effects a robust understanding of this has on our physical and mental health and outlook.
Dr. Bengtson lives to foster regeneration and renew life in her listeners. She recognizes brokenness in her life and others’ and offers steps we can take as we walk with Christ through the thin places.
About Dr. Michelle Bengston’s books
Dr. Bengtson authored the award winning “Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression” and its award winning companion “Hope Prevails Bible Study.” Her third book, “Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises” will be available in September 2019 (Revell). She blogs at DrMichelleB.com and maintains a podcast on iTunes called Your Hope Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson. She is a frequent guest on Fox News Radio and speaks at conferences and churches internationally. For more, find her at www.DrMichelleBengtson.com
Ginger’s Facebook Live Interview with Dr. Bengtson
We had an amazing live interview with Dr. Michelle Bengtson on Thursday, September 18 at 5 pm EST. Click here to watch the interview.
Read more posts from Michelle and Ginger teaming up:
One Simple Way to Settle Your Soul
Ginger shares at DrMichelleBengtson.com.
From Joy Immune to Filled with Joy
Dr. Bengtson’s at GingerHarrington.com
Experience Freedom from Anxiety, Perfectionism, Insecurity, and more.
You’re invited to join the Holy in the Moment community, a fun and interactive private group on Facebook. We’ve just started a new read-along, so this is the perfect time to jump in! Sign up here or request to join here.
How Do You Fight Fear?
Overcoming fear doesn’t come easy. I often feel like I’m groping for a solution to fear, longing for an easy remedy to ease the tension. Worry seems to be a natural reflex for me. I just want to fix the cause of my fear and feel better. How about you? How do you fight fear?
Psalmist and king, David records his struggles in many of the Psalms. His words inspire courage even though he experienced deep fear. Meditating on the Psalms is one of the ways I counter anxious thoughts. A regular time in God’s word empowers us to overcome worry, anxiety, or fear.
- Search for Bible verses that remind you of God’s presence, power, and protection.
- Post verses to remind you of God’s faithfulness.
- Pray God’s truth to counter fear.
- Memorize key scriptures for God’s truth is your greatest weapon.
Regardless of status or situation, fear is a part of life. Fear isn’t a matter of if, but a question of when. Lately I’ve been strengthened by Psalm 27. David show us how hold onto faith when we battle fearful thoughts.
In Psalm 27:1, David demonstrates simple but profound strategies for overcoming fear. Simple doesn’t mean easy, but many discount the power of purposefully choosing faith over fear. When I let my feelings drive my beliefs, I need to remember the nature and power of God.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?–Psalm 27:1
Look for God’s light.
One of the first acts of creation, God spoke light into the darkness of the unformed expanse. God’s power creates light in the dark, order from chaos, something from nothing. Light in the darkness makes all the difference, doesn’t it?
When God shines His light, truth changes our perspective, reminding us that He is trustworthy. Trust in God for light to deal with whatever situation instills fear in your heart today.
Whether fear creeps in the back door or barges through the front door, recognizing fear gives us the opportunity make choices. Unnamed fear lurking in the dark of inattention or denial creates tension and stress. Fear will boss us around if we don’t set our focus on God.
David asks the question we all need to ask on our hard days.
Whom shall I fear? Other variants of this question include the following: What am I really afraid of? How is fear impacting me?
At times, fear and anxiety have been a battleground in my life. My first impulse is to ask the wrong questions: How can God save me? Where is God in darkness if I can’t see Him? What if?
In my flesh, I prefer to see the answers before deciding to risk trusting God. With unspoken demands, I’ve made certainty and security an idol as my fears spiral out of control. This is one of the reasons that I need to consider what I’m believing in the moment of fear. When the light of truth shines in the darkness of lies I’ve believed, hurts I’ve received, or uncertainties I face, my perspective changes and my faith is strengthened.
[tweetthis]Truth is God’s fear-fighting weapon. #fightfear #anxiety @GingHarrington via @SDGwords[/tweetthis]
Please join me for more powerful strategies to overcome fear in my recent guest post at JerushaAgen.com, Looking for Light: 4 Ways to Escape the Darkness of Fear. I hope you”ll enjoy a variety of excellent articles on fight fear on Jerusha’s website. This is my first time teaming up with a fiction author, so make sure to check out Jerusha’s novels while on her site. I’m excited to feature a post from Jerusha later this fall!
Friend, fear is something we all face at times. How do you fight fear? Leave a comment and share something that helps you restore peace and confidence on the days when fear wages war in your life.
Reset Your Worry Meter
Why do I worry so much?
Have you every asked yourself this question?
I’m pretty sure we all have at some point in time. Here’s a story about a time my worry meter went off in a big way. Unexpected news and unwanted change has a way of bringing up fear, worry, and anxiety.[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#quiettime”]How to handle worry is a question we must all grapple with.[/tweetthis]
“We’re moving this summer,” my husband announced as we sat down to dinner. Four pairs of eyes open wide with surprise. “Where are we going, Daddy? Is it far away,” my youngest daughter asked?
This wasn’t the conversation I expected or wanted at the dinner table. Unprepared for uncertainty, I tried to take it in. Excited and upset, emotions and thoughts fought an internal tug of war. When is the last time unexpected news or a challenging situation set off your internal worry meter?
Do you need to reset your internal worry-meter?
As military family, we’ve relocated many times, but as our oldest entered the high school years, we hoped to settle in Virginia. That night, I remember sitting straight in my chair, wood pressing against my back, as the vision of moving boxes made me slightly nauseous. What circumstances alert your worry meter?
Moving has been a personal battle zone of anxiety, and my internal system immediately served up the familiar fears that come with moving (You can read more about learning to trust God during my battle with anxiety in the first chapter of my book).
Squelching my emotions, I jumped into the conversation, doing my best to build excitement and calm concerns of our three children. Enthusiastic on the outside, I pushed back the past worries that threatened to take over.
The next morning, I woke early as the sun began to light the sky with a soft light filtering through the window. As my concerns ramped up for the day, a Bible verse came to mind.
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1 NASB).
God used this verse to help me counter my fears.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This week I’m guest posting at Salley Matheny’s wonderful website, focused on telling the next generation about the faithfulness of God through sharing stories, encouragement, book reviews, and great resources. Hop over to Sally’s to read the rest of this post.
I’m following up her wonderful review of my book, Holy in the Moment, with this guest post.
Book Review of Holy in the Moment
Here are a few of Sally’s comments:
A little humor tops a mound of truth. . . With heartfelt writing, Harrington builds a genuine sisterhood among Christian women.
Biblical insights, personal stories, and applicable ideas, Harrington helps us discover how our choices in the daily moments of life can promote growth in holiness.
There are many insightful passages in this book, stated in a way this ordinary mama can understand. I wanted to highlight something on every page. . . So, I ordered two more copies.
You can read Sally’s review here.
Enjoy Sally’s many book reviews here.
Are you getting the most out of your summer? In all of your summer activities, don’t forget to nourish your soul. Check out these quick tips for restoring your soul this summer.
7 Tips for Making Time for Friendship and Fitness
Good friends are an often-overlooked part of good health. A gift from God, friendship is a vital part of a healthy and whole life. Finding time for fitness and friendship often seems like an either/or choice because we have...
Enjoy Friendship and Work: Book Club Week Six
Choosing God’s best in our daily moments empowers us to enjoy life to the fullest. It’s not always easy is it? For the past five weeks, we’ve been focusing on unpacking the content of Holy in the Moment with the Online Book...
Holy Moments Are for Loving One Another
The Bible tells us we should love one another.
More people should read the Bible. Right?
Love is a something we all want more of in our lives, but sometimes we don’t give our best selves to loving others. Let’s face it, relationships can have some messy moments. It isn’t always easy to love others well.
4 Verses to Ignite Love in Your Heart
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”–John 13:34-35 NASB
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord…”–Romans 10:9-11 NASB
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”–Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB
“May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you…”–1 Thessalonians 3:12 NASB
Holiness never discounts the importance of loving God whole-heartedly and loving others unselfishly. God’s right order for living is to love God first, then others and self. When we do this, we love from holiness instead of the self-focus of the flesh. Holy harmony with God, others, and self is God’s design for life and relationships.
This week on the Holy in the Moment Book Club we are discussing the challenge and blessing of loving others with a holy heart. Take time to reflect on the questions from chapters 13-14 to ignite your capacity to love others freely as you rely on Christ as your source of life and love.
If you missed one of the previous weeks, you can catch up here:
Week One: Chapters 1-3
Week Two: Chapters 4-6
Week Three: Chapters 7-9
Week Four: Chapters 10-12
Chapter 13: Moment to Love One Another
As you realize that God cares about your relationships, what ways can you invite God into your interactions with others?
What ways can you see sin distorting God’s design for good relationships in your family, friendships, or work relationships? What choice can you make in order to show love in a challenging relationship? How do you feel about practicing this holy choice?
Fear and shame creates barriers in relationships. What ways can you identify fear or shame impacting one of your relationships?
Consider a time when someone encouraged you in a way that helped you move forward. How have you seen God working through your choices to love and encourage others?
We often face the temptation to blame others or protect ourselves by hiding our vulnerabilities. What have you learned in this chapter that can help respond to challenges with faith rather than fear?
How does the temptation to love others in order to get something surface in your life? What holy choice can change how you respond to the temptation be selfish in your relationships?
What helps you give your best to others?
Chapter 14: Moments to Bless Your Children
What ways does “Super-Mom Syndrome” show up in your parenting? How is this impacting you internally?
What pressures are you putting on yourself to be perfect in your parenting? How can choosing to trust God in your parenting help you move from Super-Mom to Saint-Mom?
How is fear infiltrating your parenting? What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you about your parenting fears? What truths is God showing you in this area of your life?
Describe the difference between parenting from your flesh and parenting from the Spirit makes in your family? What ways do you tend to parents from a strategy or coping mechanism of your flesh? What is one holy choice you can practice in this specific struggle?
How do you see a lie you have believed or a misperception from your past impacting your parenting? What truth do you need to embrace today?
What simple ways can you remind yourself to rely on Christ more fully in your parenting? What change do you hope to see in yourself as you open your heart for God to help you make a new holy habit in your parenting?
Friend, I’d love to hear what impacted you from the thoughts in this post. What challenges you in loving others well?
Next Week is Break Week for the Book Club
This next week is a great time to catch up on your reading if you’ve gotten behind in the Book Club! I’ll be traveling to Missouri and Kansas for some book events. I’ll also have the joy of helping with staff training for Planting Roots: Strength to Thrive in Military Life, a non-profit ministry where I oversee publishing. We’ve recently released our first two books, Beyond Brave: Faith to Stand in Military Life (Bible study) and Free to Be Brave: Moments with God for Military Life. I’m looking forward to a great trip!
Winner of the Rafflecopter
Congratulations to Judy Holmes who is the winner of last week’s Rafflecopter celebrating my first Book Birthday. Woohoo! Holy in the Moment released a year ago!
Currently in my newsletter, I am sending a weekly downloadable guide with more questions and graphics to enhance your reading. This is perfect for those who like to journal or are leading a small group study of the book! Sign up for my newsletter here to get the weekly printable discussion guide.
Learn more about the book here.
Read what people are saying about the book.
Request to join the private FB group here.
Need a copy of the book? Choose from a variety of booksellers here.
Got Your Holy On?
Welcome to week four of the Holy in the Moment Book Club!
For many, holiness is a church word associated with formal religion, holy communion, and holy week. But the reality is that holiness is a natural and integral part of your identity in Christ if you have accepted Jesus as your savior.
The life-long journey of growing in holiness, happens as we learn to live out of our identity in Christ, bringing our thoughts, words, beliefs, desires, and actions in line with the nature of Jesus within us. This is the work that God is doing within, making us holy and whole, spirit, soul, and body.
Navigating your soul.
When we drill down to the soul level, our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes reveal what we are believing in the moment. They are also key components to loving God, embracing truth, enjoying life, as we overcome the flesh-traits and old messages that keep us stuck. This week in the Holy in the Moment Book Club, we are going deeper into soul territory as we explore the importance of our feelings and obedience, which are bridges to good attitudes.
If you missed week one (chapters 1-3), week two (chapters 4-6), or week three (chapters 7-9), click one of the links to access the week you want to catch. A downloadable weekly guide is available for subscribers to my newsletter. Sign up for my newsletter here. Now for this weeks questions!
Chapter 10: Moments to Feel
- Our thoughts and feelings reveal what we believe in the moment. How can this awareness empower you to process your emotions?
- What false beliefs, misperceptions, or negative messages do you most commonly struggle with? What kinds of situations trigger your flesh? How are they sabotaging your faith?
- What are you learning about the relationship between emotional and spiritual growth? What aspect of handling emotions do you need to process with God?
- How can choosing to act like who you are in Christ rather than how you feel make a practical difference in your life? What can help you make this holy choice? What is one truth you most need to embrace today?
Chapter 11: Moments to Obey
- Based on your reading, what is the difference between legalism and holiness when it comes to obedience? In what ways does choosing to obey God foster growth and freedom in your life?
- How would you explain the relationship between obeying God and enjoying God to someone?
- What is one challenge you face in choosing obedience? What specific concepts have you learned in the book that are changing your thoughts, feelings, or behavior in this struggle?
Moments to Choose Good Attitudes
- Jesus came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). How can choosing to rely on Christ in the moment open the door to joy in your life?
- How do negative attitudes trigger flesh and hinder holiness in your life? What are your most common attitude struggles and what coping ways of the flesh do they trigger? Example: Uncertainty in my life easily triggers fear and anxiety in my life.
- How frequently do you struggle with comparison, complaint, or criticism? What new choices can you make that will defuse the power of negative attitudes at work in your day to day?
- What is God revealing to you about the enemy’s tactics to steal your joy and block you for experiencing the life of Christ in your life?
- What little victories can you rejoice in today? Are there any big wins in your life that you have not taken time to celebrate with God?
Well done, Friend! These are thought-provoking questions that require you to get real with yourself and with God. You will discover that as you begin to process your thoughts and emotions in light of God’s truth, the Holy Spirit will help you be more aware of what you are actually believing in the moment.
Awareness is a key to making an intentional choice to love God, embrace truth, and enjoy life. Practice choosing holy in the moment as you process your emotions, respond with obedience, and enjoy life with a good attitude! What’s your favorite part of the book so far? Leave a comment and share what God is doing in your life through the book!
Moments to Pray, Listen, and Think Bring Us Closer to God
Welcome to Week Three of discussing Holy in the Moment! Choose to trust God in the moment. Be mindful of His presence and rely on His strength–these are simple choices that open a multitude of holy moments in our lives.
In the first section of the book, holy choices to believe, love God, abide, surrender, and rest profoundly deepen our relationship with God.
In Week One we covered chapters 1-3, digging into the concepts of holiness, believing God, and wholeheartedly loving God.
Last week we explored the practices of abiding, surrendering, and resting in faith, a sacred rhythm for experiencing the freedom of the Spirit.
Embrace truth in every moment.
Be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
–Ephesians 4:23-24 NIV
The second section of Holy in the Moment deals with our inner life–the territory of the soul and how we interact with God in our spirit. Prayer, listening to God, recognizing truth in our thoughts, handling our emotions, and choosing obedience are sacred practices for overcoming the flesh. In this practical section of the book, you will find many helpful concepts and ideas for cooperating with God as he renews your mind, making you holy and whole.
Learn more about the book here.
Read what people are saying about the book.
Chapter 7: Moments to Pray
Prayer transforms any moment from mundane to significant, from temporal to eternal. Through a prayerful life, God renews our minds and teaches us to put on the holy and right ways of living in our new self. Holy in the moment, prayer changes us and consecrates our lives.
Holy in the Moment, p. 77
Pray in the moment. Be bold and brave and don’t wait until later. Pray now and minister a blessing in the midst of the need. Put your hand on a shoulder, trusting God to give you the words to pray as you let your heart speak.
Holy in the Moment p. 79
- What are you learning about the difference between
prayer as a set activity and prayer as a mindset for living?
- How can you begin to keep a continual conversation with
God throughout the day?
- What is your go-to response when problems arise? How
can you work on the holy habit of praying before reacting? What difference do
you think making prayer your first response will make?
- Is your level of trust in God dependent on God
answering your prayer the way you envision? How is God enhancing your
experience with prayer through this chapter?
- How does embracing the truth that God “cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7), relieve your anxiety level? How can believing God is caring for you in the midst of your struggle change the way you pray?
Chapter 8: Moments Listen to God
Hearing God through the Scriptures is about relationship. The most important thing about having a quiet time is hearing what God has to say.
Holy in the Moment p. 98
Over time, we notice the difference between God and other voices because of the truth, content, wisdom, and clarity of the thought.
Holy in the Moment p. 99
- How is concentration and attention a sacred gift making it possible for us to know God better? What areas of spiritual attention are difficult for you? What ideas from the chapter would you like to implement in your life?
- How is shifting your perspective on the Bible from reading to listening changing your time with God? What are you learning about listening to God as your read and meditate on Scripture?
- When it comes to having a regular Quiet Time with God,
what does the statement “Fight for consistency, but walk in grace” mean to you?
- How is discerning God speak through His Word to you
personally an experience with God. What does “hearing” God look like in your
life?
Chapter 9: Moments to Think
God is changing the way I think as I walk through each day abiding, trusting, praying, and listening to Christ. As I’m attentive to my thoughts, God teaches me ways to spot faulty thinking based on lies I have believed. God is working through our daily choices to embrace truth and reject lies embedded in the ideas we believe to be true.
Holy in the Moment p. 110
How doe we get rid of these destructive thoughts? We capture our thoughts–recognize and notice them, refuse to let them run wild or build walls. Capturing is more than just recognizing ungodly thoughts; it is bringing them to Christ rather than letting them fester or entrench themselves into our minds.
Holy in the Moment p. 116
- Why does changing the way that you think take time? How
can you cooperate more fully with God in the process of transforming the way
you think?
- What difference is “thinking about what you are
thinking about” making in your life? Why is awareness of the content of your
thoughts an important step to making a holy choice?
- What characteristic do godly thoughts have? What
characteristics do thoughts from the enemy exhibit? What kinds of thoughts are
triggered by your flesh? How can identifying the signature/characteristic of
the thought help you to experience freedom from your flesh or the lies of the
enemy?
- Apply the holy but concept to thoughts you
have had this week. What happens when you rephrase your thoughts or challenges
by putting your attention on what God says is true: Situation or thought but
God’s truth?
Want to join the Book Club?
Love to have you join us in our private FB group, the Holy in the Moment Community. Each Tuesday I post discussion questions in a thread. On Tuesday evening I hang out with the group via a FB Live Broadcast where I share more about the concepts in the book.
In my newsletter, I send out a weekly downloadable guide with more questions and graphics to enhance your reading. This is perfect for those who like to journal or are leading a small group study of the book! Sign up for my newsletter here to get the printable discussion guides available on my Subscriber Freebie Page.
Learn more about the book here.
Read what people are saying about the book.
Request to join the private FB group here.
Need a copy of the book? Choose from a variety of booksellers here.
Here’s a little taste of what’s happening in the Holy in the Moment Community group on FB.
Abide, Surrender, and Rest: Book Club Week 2
Have you noticed that there are many words that we talk about in spiritual terms that aren’t used much in every day language? Today in the Holy in the Moment Book Club we’re talking about these three words: abide, surrender, and rest. Welcome to week two! If you missed week one, you can find our discussion questions here. https://gingerharrington.com/holy-in-the-moment-book-club-lets-get-started/
Abide isn’t a word we use much in today’s culture. Think about it–when’s the last time you were out to dinner with a friend and you talked about the topic of abiding?
Right–it’s just not a concept that is part of our cultural conversation. But it is a holy choice for every day that enables us to receive God’s Spirit and provision. Abiding is a natural connection with God.
Start your day with a simple prayer for abiding in Christ:
“Lord, I want to stay connected to you today. I rely on you for apart from you I can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Surrender is a deep act of trust and worship.
Then there’s the word surrender. To be honest, this isn’t a word we like to chat about either. Most of us has mixed feelings about the idea of surrendering everything to Jesus.
We tend to think of it as some uber-spiritual practice that only the strongest believers can accomplish. We want to surrender our lives fully to God, but our flesh balks at “giving up” the rights we’ve come to claim as our own. When we make the sacred choice to surrender our desires to Christ,
Safe in the love of Christ, we can make the choice to release our rights, confront motivations, put aside ungodly thoughts, confess any sins, and surrender our wills. Surrender opens the prison door of the thoughts taking us captive.
Rest for your soul.
Now rest is a word we can get behind–especially when we drag ourselves out of bed, tired before the day has even begun. Living in overdrive, many of us have scheduled our lives with little to no white space for attending to our souls.
And yet–abide, surrender, and rest are three power words that make up a spiritual rhythm for everyday living , as well as for overcoming our greatest struggles.
Abiding in Christ, we learn to trust Him enough to surrender our hard things to His loving care. Surrendering our desires, hopes, and fears to Jesus brings rest for our souls–rest from fear, striving, bitterness, control, and discouragement.
Rest the outcomes of your efforts in God’s capable hands and release the stress of performance.
This week on the Holy in the Moment Book Club, we’re exploring chapters 4-6:
Moments to Abide
Moments to Surrender
Moments to Rest
These three important concepts are the heart of Holy in the Moment, setting the foundation for the rest of the book. Give yourself time to read, using these questions to unpack holy choices that empower us to live in freedom and joy. . . every single day.
Chapter 4: Moments to Abide
How can awareness of our needs draw us into an abiding relationship with Christ? When you experience the deep needs of your soul, do you tend to rely on Christ, others, or yourself? In what ways do you try to meet your needs with your own efforts?
How can abiding in God help you to practice the presence of God rather than the presence of your problems? What simple things help you abide with Christ?
We often define a good day in terms of what we’ve been able to accomplish. How would your stress level change if you focus trusting Christ rather than accomplishing every task, controlling uncertain situations, or fixing every problem?
Chapter 5: Moments to Surrender
When we resort to the flesh, we want to control the answers, demanding things must be a certain way in order to be happy. What are your must-have’s or what-about-me’s, the things you believe you must have in order to be okay in life? What level of stress do you experience by trying to meet these needs through your own efforts?
I can’t… I won’t… I don’t deserve… This is the language of resistance that can reveal areas of our lives in which we need to surrender our rights to God. When have you said one of these things to yourself? What right is attached to this area of your life? What choice can you make today that will help you trust God with that need so you can move forward?
We often think of surrender in terms of losing something we want or think we must have to be okay. How can surrender open the door to receiving God’s blessings? What have you gained through the process of surrender in your experience?
Chapter 6: Moments to Rest
What area of life do you most need rest at this time: physical, mental, relational, or spiritual? What warning signs do you experience when you are exhausted physically, mentally, relationally, or spiritually? What is God revealing to you about rest?
What situations or relationships tempt you to take responsibility that isn’t yours to bear? How can you entrust them to Christ?
What could it look like to rest the outcomes of your efforts in God’s capable hands and release the stress of performance? How might this empower you to rest in a new way?
What relationship do you see between a need to rest and a lack of surrender in your life? What is God teaching as you learn about the holy rhythm of abiding, surrendering, and resting?
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Related blog posts:
What is Spiritual Rest and Why Do We Need It?
Finding Soul Rest from the Burdens that Weigh You Down
Is Your Soul Out of Sync?
Abide, Surrender, and Rest: Book Discussion Week 2
Does Your Soul Talk Strengthen Your Faith?
10 Bible Verses for a Healthy Soul
