Finding Strength in Christ
FEAR– The worries begin to roll in like a fog, subtle at first. It starts with one question: “Is there enough money for…?” or “How can I help the kids with…?” Even when I feel like I’m doing all the right things, I wonder: Why don’t I seem to be moving forward? Why do the same problems keep coming back?
Now these fears wake me up at night. The tricks I once learned in therapy no longer help me get back to sleep. I feel like Peter walking on the water toward Jesus—my eyes fix on the storm, and I start sinking. Or like a seed planted in a field, weeds grow around me and threaten to choke my hope.
I sit down, focus on my breathing, and try to steady myself. Inhale: “I can’t.” Hold: “He can.” Exhale: “I’ll let Him.”
Slowly, I let go of trying to control everything and began to trust God’s presence. Only after this moment of surrender do I start praying about the burdens weighing me down.
SHAME– Why didn’t I recognize the storm and pray immediately? Pride, perhaps. I want to hide my stress and fear, pretending everything is fine. I believe in God. I have faith and hope in Him. I know He is my Good Shepherd, yet it has taken years to recognize that some of these moments are spiritual attacks (Ephesians 6:12).
Because of pride, I sometimes allow the enemy to thrash me before I turn to God for help. But now, I am learning to notice the storm sooner and seek the Lord Almighty before it overwhelms me.
TRANSFORMATION– True transformation doesn’t happen when we grow stronger on our own. It happens when we lean fully on the Lord’s strength. As 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 reminds us:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
As a disciple of Christ, I need to allow God to continue shaping me into His image, growing into ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
DECLARATION- When we face the storm head-on with God, we move through it more quickly. Remembering our identity in Christ helps us stand firm. Now, when I feel the fog rolling in, I speak these declarations out loud—inviting God’s truth to replace the lies of the enemy:
- PEACE belongs to me! I am a child of God. – Philippians 4:6-7
- JOY belongs to me! I am a child of God. – Psalm 28:7
- FREEDOM is my inheritance! I am a child of God. – Galatians 5:1
- I belong because I believe. – John 1:12
These truths disrupt the enemy’s attempts to turn temporary distress into despair. He may try to convince us we are unworthy, but the CROSS and Jesus’ blood have already made us worthy. It’s not about what we’ve done—it’s about what God has done.
I don’t share this to claim that I have fully overcome stress and anxiety. I share it so you can see this part of my journey in the hope that it encourages you; You are not alone as we follow Christ. I am learning to allow God to help me grow through these times of distress, facing them with Him, and using them to transform me into His image.
As Romans 15:13 reminds us:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”