Staying Grounded when Life Tries to Scare Us
When you were a kid, what was the cool thing to do in your neighborhood?
For us it was the high diving board at the local pool. Now, I imagined I was the very best at shallow water activities like handstands and backflips and making my wet hair look like George Washington’s. I was not so good at the deep stuff. But there was always so much pressure to prove yourself at the other end of the pool.
One day I found myself climbing up that ladder on my shaky legs for what seemed like an hour. When I got to the top it was so much worse than I imagined. Kids noticed how long I just stood there staring and started yelling for me to jump. I did not jump, dear reader. I broke the pool rules and climbed back down. And then I cried.
I tell you this pathetic story at this particular moment because there is so much fear in our world. Fear tries to permeate every part of our lives and create havoc. Fear often comes out in hot tears, in angry outbursts (often misdirected), in stress and perfectionism and anxiety. Fear makes us live in ways that are so much less than we were made for.
You may have noticed that we are in a time of transition. Little chubby babies are now big enough to be graduating and have the gall to move away from us. Some of us are restarting activities that we laid aside during the pandemic or trying to simply reconnect with humans. The world stage is just ablaze with sad headlines and upheaval.
It tries to spark fear in us. Have you felt it?
Jesus is no stranger to upheaval. In the midst of all of this, Jesus, who was afraid of nothing, speaks ever so gently to us saying--What are you really afraid of? You have turmoil because things are up in the air. But I am the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
How can we stay grounded in the difficult moments?
Just breathe. When the pressure heats up, when the cool kids are yelling for you to jump from the high dive, when things feel chaotic, stop and take a few deep breaths. Your breathing alone will help your body and mind to calm. Don’t buy into the idea that you have to rush about frantically when you feel stressed. Do the opposite.
Remember the truth. Remember that you are chosen and loved by Him who never sleeps, never changes, and watches over you to keep you safe. Meditate on that for a moment and see how it affects your mood. So much of our fear comes from the lie that things are definitely going to go badly for us, that the worst things will happen. Choosing to meditate on Jesus and who He is will settle your heart like nothing else.
Ask yourself what am I really afraid of in this moment? What am I believing about this situation that has me so amped up? Take note of what’s happening in your mind. You might be surprised that a small lie is taking control and ruling your emotions. If your mind feels like a beehive write your thoughts down or record them on your phone, even briefly, so that you can process them and make a little space for your mind.
The enemy constantly tries to steal from us, but Jesus came so we could have a full life (John 10:10). And guess who wins? He does. So you and I do too.
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