What Christian Women Forget When They Feel Anxious
Sometimes, you just forget what's most important.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Who doesn't want to feel secure as a Christian woman?
Believing you are loved beyond measure. Everything is OK. You have more than enough.
That security you long for is yours. And yet, so often, you live as though you are looking for it — in your relationships, your careers, and your finances.
You try to prove yourself, taking massive efforts to earn your keep and make yourself essential. You hustle and burn yourself out. You are relentless because, otherwise, you could fall short.
In relationships, you demand others show up in a specific way to make you feel better. You want them to validate your worth or provide for you in the ways you think you need.
You are desperate for not only the approval of others but also their support.
You want someone or something to provide a sense of security and safety that you believe would make life better, even though it never does. Because you are seeking something that you already have.
As a Christian woman and a believer, the essence of who you are is always safe.
No matter what. And because Christ is your foundation, your spirit is covered and cleansed. There is nothing you can do to make yourself more worthy, loved, or valued.
Remember, Jesus is your Sheperd and gives you all that you need. No circumstance is a threat.
And, yet, sometimes, you forget that you are the daughter of The All Sovereign, who has called you by name. So you set your eyes on false desires.
You think you know better. You do things your way. You put your thoughts above His thoughts. You fix your heart on shiny objects.
Consider what you value most: What consumes your energy and your time? What brings you hope?
This thing, this person, is your treasure.
Sometimes, you prize things that can be taken from you or let you down. These may be good things, just not things that God intended to make us whole.
Matthew 6:20-21 says: "...Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
When you put the people and pursuits of your life in the right place, you can enjoy them.
However, when you make them your center, expecting them to make you happy and secure, you are chasing a moving target and experiencing disappointment, fear, and instability.
When you make anything but Jesus the lifeline to your heart, you will always be left grasping.
Instead, set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:2).
Nothing and no one can rob you of your inheritance or worth when your identity is in your relationship with your redeemer. You are His and have all you need.
Daughter of the King is who you are.
Secure. He loves you. He chose you. He has plans for you. He sees you. He longs to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).
When you know this is true, you can relax. You can live in peace and joy. You can love from a place of abundance. You can discover the greater whole.
Stay close to your good Father. Focus on Him. Ask him for wisdom and He will show you what to do.
Humans and circumstances may be unreliable, wavering, and disappointing. But, aligned with the one who made you, redeemed you, and has given you what you can’t give yourself, you have a constant, steady, and reliable foundation.
Jill M. Lillard, MA LPC, is a Gottman Certified Couples Therapist and Life Coach who helps Christian women step into powerful and steady lives no matter what their circumstances. She has facilitated inspiring and faith-filled retreats and workshops for Christian women for nearly a decade. Get your free mini-course, The 4 Things You Must Do To Become The Happiest Wife.