THE ULTIMATE ANTIDOTE TO WORRY AND ANXIETY

I do not like staying awake when I am travelling by public transport (my personal decision).

When I sleep, I am relieved of the apprehension that often accompanies travelling on the road.

I am oblivious to the potholes the driver was not careful to maneuver. I am unaware of the truck that almost hit our car.

I won’t hear all the rants and shouts of fellow passengers at the reckless driver. My BP doesn’t have to rise.

This way, I wake up feeling fresh only to alright when I get to my destination.

I am writing this so that you can adopt my method. If you really want to enjoy your journey, just sleep! It is the best thing to do.

Trust the Driver!

Most of us die many times before we die. We worry and get so anxious about things we cannot control. We anticipate and imagine all kinds of evil in our hearts that won’t happen. We beat ourselves up unnecessarily.

I have often wondered why the disciples were shouting when the sea became tumultuous since Jesus was in the ship. If Jesus was sleeping in the storm, shouldn’t they sleep too? Is it not obvious that the storm will have to carry all of them away including Jesus? Shouldn’t they simply hold on to Jesus, the Driver?

Jesus trusted His Driver – the heavenly Father. So, He went to sleep. He slept carelessly in the midst of the storm

Most of us ridiculously call Jonah a sleeper. We fail to see the positive side of his sleep. While others were wailing, he was deep in sleep. His Driver is the source of the storm. He even asked them to throw him into the sea. He was so confident in his God. And sure enough, He sent another means of transportation; Whales Waterways.

Sometimes, shouting in prayer is not the solution to our storms, it is sleep; trusting absolutely the Driver of our lives.

Sometimes, shouting in prayer is not the solution to our storms, it is sleep; trusting absolutely the Driver of our lives. Click To Tweet

The truth is some of our prayers are fear inspired rather than faith based. We are simply shouting like the apostles. We have forgotten that the Driver is with us in the ship.

We have forgotten His promise,

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2).

Just sleep! It is the only way to get rid of the pains of this life. Trust the Driver.

No wonder, Adam was made to sleep. He won’t be able to stand the pain of pulling out one of his ribs. But when he slept, God had a chance to take him through the process effortlessly. The result was Eve.

God may find it difficult to pull out your rib so that He can produce an Eve if you stay awake. You will delay God.

I know it’s hard to sleep. I don’t always sleep too. Sometimes, I just worry and become apprehensive. When I was younger I had no worries but it seems that the older I grew, the more the anxiety and the apprehension that I feel.

I have often wondered if this is what is called  maturity. “Adulting” is hard. But I am learning to lean on the everlasting arms; to trust the Driver who knows my end from the beginning. I am learning to cast my cares on Him because He cares for me.

I am learning to believe that He cares about me more than I do. And that His love is unchanging and His power unlimited.

His love is unchanging and His power unlimited. Click To Tweet

I am learning to believe that He is still good even when things are bad. I have realized where the battle is: the enemy wants me to believe that He is not good. He keeps telling me, “If He is good, why is your prayer yet unanswered? Why are you being delayed? Why are your needs not met? Why are so many promises and prophecies still hanging?”

He is still good even when things are bad. I have realized where the battle is: the enemy wants me to believe that He is not good. Click To Tweet

He wants me to have a faulty view of God and His goodness so I can deny Him. It is his strategy from the beginning. Once he succeeded in getting Eve to doubt the integrity of God, she fell into sin.

This is why I am learning to sleep; to trust His wisdom in the midst of my crisis.

I am reminded of Joseph. Every step he took seems to be taking him farther away from His dreams but it was God’s wisdom and God’s way of bringing him to the palace. He must have thought he was being buried, he didn’t know he was being planted and that he would sprout again.

I am reminded of Joseph. Every step he took seems to be taking him farther away from His dreams but it was God's wisdom and God's way of bringing him to the palace. Click To Tweet

I am reminded of the patience of Job and the end intended by the Lord.

It was Hoffman who wrote this song,

“What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

That is what happens when we lean on Him. When we trust our future to His care, we would experience the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

I am renewing my resolution to trust this Driver and simply sleep. I may not know what the future holds but I know the Lord will be there. That settles it.

I may not know what the future holds but I know the Lord will be there. Click To Tweet

I will trust the Driver. I’ll just sleep!

This is the ultimate antidote to worry and anxiety – to sleep and repose absolute confidence in the Driver of our lives.

Shalom!

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