Important Note: I will not be discussing my, nor anyone else’s political views in this blog post.
On election day, I planned to start my day as usual, at my desk reviewing my list of priority tasks to accomplish. But I couldn’t get myself to look at my calendar app. I was distracted, restless, and unsettled. The only things I could manage to do were to read the latest election commentary, listen to live interviews, and watch the projected vote counts. Later that night I made phone calls to friends and I discovered we all felt the same thing that day: strong subconscious anxiety. This was a familiar feeling I have fought too often about a variety of topics.
I remembered times in my life in which painful situations that I couldn’t change left me feeling stuck. I remembered the intense frustration of not knowing which corrective actions to take for the sake of my emotional, spiritual, and physical health. I kept thinking about what I needed to do and how I felt virtually handcuffed, which intensified my anxiety.
It’s interesting how anxieties and fears can so easily attach themselves to us. Lies that jump on our backs, and once there, become increasingly heavy, weighing us down with an ungodly burden. Lies that want to limit what we can do and who we can be. Why would anyone believe a lie that would hurt them and rob them of God’s richest blessings? It’s an insidious process. These lies bombard us in such high quantities that it can be very hard to fight them off. And they try very hard to convince us that they do not exist. They work hard at becoming invisible to us. What we cannot detect, we cannot fight.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT
“But the lord is faithful; He will strengthen you, and guard you from the evil one.”
We can trust our Heavenly Father to faithfully protect and provide for us. He is the creator of all good things. His truth enables us to see how things really are. No shadows, nothing is hidden. Our God is the author of truth who gifts us with many things.
I remembered a sermon from years ago which described one of the most powerful pieces of our spiritual armor: thankfulness for God’s love and faithfulness. I made a mental list of the things I am thankful for. It quickly became a longer list than I first expected.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
I have adopted this strategy: When I feel bombarded with a heavy burden of lies, I list the many, many occasions and ways God has blessed me! As I do this, I am filled with relief and gratitude. And as I thank God for His many gifts and freedoms, I have felt the shouting lies fade into peaceful quiet. Gratitude protects us from spiritual and emotional illness, and frees us to continue our pursuit of becoming the person that God created us to be. Christ is patiently helping me grow into a more spiritually mature version of myself.
Philippians 4:8 NLT
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
An ongoing practice of gratitude is the precious antidote to the poisonous lies that assault us all day long. And as you keep living in thankfulness, you get better at focusing on what is true by remembering all that God has already done for you. You realize how rich you really are. You have all that you could ever need in Christ.
James 1:17 NLT
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
What life experiences are on your thankfulness list? This new habit is changing my life. I encourage you to create your personal gratitude armor today!
About the Author
Sara has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”