Anxiety

Your Conscience Tells You What not to Do, Wisdom Tells You What to Do

February 1, 2018 by wagraham Leave a Comment

We’ve all entered that moment of decision. The temptation to act or to think when we know that we shouldn’t. It’s your conscience that tells you, “Stop!” And so you either listen to your conscience or you ignore it. It’s a stop sign that you either stop at or run.

But consciences don’t tell you what to do. They warn you about what not to do.

You see: our conscience warns us against unjust acts, but wisdom tells us how to act wisely. [Read more…] about Your Conscience Tells You What not to Do, Wisdom Tells You What to Do

My New Year’s Resolution Is Simple: to Be Anxious for Nothing

January 3, 2018 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Every year we resolve ourselves to accomplish some feat. It’s a gym membership, a diet, a plan to read more books, or some other goal that promises great benefit. Often, we disappoint ourselves because don’t attain our goals.

But what if we resolved to do one thing that promises to help us in every aspect of our lives? What if we resolved to be anxious for nothing?

About 18% of adult Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. And everyone, to some degree, suffers from anxiety. It’s universal problem that we all desire to be rid of.

And yet most forms of anxiety are self-inflicted. [Read more…] about My New Year’s Resolution Is Simple: to Be Anxious for Nothing

Fear, Anxiety, and Guilt Are Often Futile

April 17, 2017 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

– Jonathan Edwards

“Light breaks over her” by Robb North – CC-BY on Flickr

Fear, anxiety, and guilt are often futile. And they often feel inescapable. They take you and control you. They guide you to one point of focus: “Did I really say that?”, “How can live after this?”, “Nobody cares about me?” And the point of focus only serves to feed your dour emotions. Like the sun’s setting, gloom slowly but surely covers you in darkness.

And yet, some people overcome the soul’s darkest nights, and Christianity promises joy that puts out shadowy gloom (John 16:24). How? The answer is, in part, that Christians live their lives with eternity on their minds. While fear and anxiety will not disappear when you place eternity at the centre of your life, they will be put in their place and easier to handle. But before we get to this, let’s talk about two kinds of fear, anxiety, and guilt. [Read more…] about Fear, Anxiety, and Guilt Are Often Futile

Opening Up Heals

April 13, 2017 by wagraham Leave a Comment

“If you want the doctor’s help, you must reveal the wound”

– Boethius

“Doctor’s wall” by Andrew Malone, CC-BY, on Flickr

Some of the deepest wounds are not marked on our bodies but in our hearts. We tuck away our disordered emotions into our inner-life until they explode into our outer-life. When we blow up and so probably speak rashly, we cut others to pieces:

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts. (Prov 12:18a)

[Read more…] about Opening Up Heals