Zero anxiety. Is that even possible?

Do you ever feel like everything going on in your life is just… too much? The more I look around, the more I realize that it’s not just me. Anxiety, depression, and every kind of mental distress seem to be epidemic today. The news, the statistics, and people all around me tell the same story. But God doesn’t want us to live like that. The Bible tells us that He wants us to have peace, no matter what. In one place it says:

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7a NLT

There are so many circumstances that bring stress and pressure, but I’ve learned that when I bring the situation to Him in prayer, He gives me peace in the midst of it all. And God’s kind of peace doesn’t have to slip away as soon as I run into my next problem. In fact, in the very next verse, God gives us a secret about how to hold onto that peace: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (from Philippians 4:8 NLT). And this isn’t just about “thinking good thoughts.” It’s about filling our hearts with what strengthens our faith so that we don’t let go of God and the peace He promises.

Here’s another way to look at it:  

What you think about is what drops down into your heart. So, if I’m thinking fear, insecurity, unbelief, doubt, whatever, all day, that’s what’s in my heart. (excerpt from Taking Hold With Pit Bull Faith pt. 1 by Pastor Chester C. Pipkin Jr.)

When we understand how this works, it’s easy to see how anxiety is able to wreak so much havoc: if we’re thinking about all the crazy stuff going on in the world, it’s only natural that we’d be full of anxiety. That’s why the Bible says to think about better things. Filling our minds with the truth of God’s Word and the intensity of his love means there’s no room for the other stuff to take over. And when I keep reminding myself of all the good things God’s done for me before, then I can trust Him with everything going on around me now. And when I am really living this out, I can experience zero anxiety, and peace on 100!