Dealing with Anxiety during Covid-19

Philippians 4:6-7 
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.

​Hello,

I am going to be the first one to admit that Covid-19 has not been easy on me. I would consider myself an introvert by nature, so social distancing in the beginning was okay. The longer social distancing happens, the more I realize we all need other people. I have struggled over the past couple weeks with the uncertainty we are all facing. My mind weighs heavy with an illness bulldozing its way across the world threatening to take as many lives as it can. My mind weighs heavy with the massive change to the world economy due to Covid-19’s bulldozing path. No one knows how long all of this uncertainty will last and that is scary to me.

A song that I can’t get out of my head these days is “Sparrows” by Jason Gray. 
“You can't add a single day by worrying
You'll worry your life away
Oh don't worry your life away
You can't change a single thing by freaking out
It's just gonna close you in
Oh don't let the trouble win
You may feel alone
But you're not on your own
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow”

When I think what Paul wrote in Phillippians 4:6-7 and Jason Gray’s song, I try to put my worries at ease. I know that is often easier said than done, but worry will get you no where, sort of…

​I recently listened to a podcast that was talking about worry in the business world. It seems that having some worry about the future could be a genetic trait that was passed down over time to help our ancestors survive. It seems that worrying about the future can be a good thing if you are thinking of the future of your family in terms of making sure you have enough food and protection from the elements. Just think about early cavemen survival rates based on their planning for basic needs. If they had enough food and didn’t get eaten, it was because they were prepared by having some worry and thought to the future and those characteristics were passed on to the future generations. 

When I think about this in modern times, yes, planning for the future is a good thing with maybe a little worry behind it. We all should be thinking and planning for the future to a certain extent. It’s why we study in school and go to work to earn a pay check to provide for our families. But what do we do when a pandemic sweeps across the world providing so much unpredictability to the health of our loved ones and the global economy?

It really is when these worries take over our lives that we need to take a deep breath and look to God and others around us for help. When you put your faith in God, we can be a little less anxious for all the uncertainty around us right now. Give thanks to God what you do have. You might think there is not be much thankful for, but I have seen so many great things. I have noticed my own family have more time together and slowing down our lives. I have been able to take on some new learning both in my work and personal growth. I have heard and seen many acts of kindness across my community. Take a look around for some good and create good some where you can.

Blessings!
Joe