Category: anxiety

anxiety, encouragement, hope, Stress

Finding Hope in Life’s Storms: Your Guiding Light

The Kedge Anchor

Exploring the lighthouses God provides to help us navigate difficult seasons.

As I’ve been reflecting on the storms we all face at different times in our lives. I was reminded of something I wrote a couple of years ago about the lighthouses God provides along our journey.

Life’s storms can leave us feeling lost, overwhelmed, and unsure of our next step. But even in the darkest moments, God is faithful to provide reminders of His presence, His guidance, and His love.

Imagine you are out at sea on a stormy night..

The sky is dark. There are no stars shining above to guide you. Waves are crashing around you, tossing you back and forth, and there is no land in sight. For a moment, everything feels hopeless.

Then, in the distance, you see a light.

A lighthouse.

A steady beam shining through the darkness, guiding you toward shore and safety. You let out a sigh of relief. You feel encouraged. You realize, “I’m going to be okay.”

When you finally reach the shore, the fear begins to fade. The storm may still be raging, but you know you can make it through.

Have you ever felt like you were in that storm?

I know I have.

Some storms of discouragement have been brief squalls that passed quickly. Others have lingered, leaving me feeling tossed and battered by my own thoughts or by circumstances happening around me.

During those seasons, I need something to help me. Sometimes I need someone to help me.

Whether the storm is passing quickly or seems to have settled in for a while, we all need encouragement during difficult seasons.

So I want to ask you:

Who or what do you turn to when you are navigating stormy waters? What helps you find your way when there seems to be no light, no stars, and no clear direction? Who or what are your lighthouses?

I want to make it clear: I am not a counselor, and this blog is not a substitute for professional mental health care. However, our mental, emotional, and spiritual health matter. This is simply a place of encouragement where I share things that have helped me during difficult seasons.

If you feel you need to speak with a professional counselor, I encourage you to seek one who can provide the support you need.

Over the next few posts, we’ll explore some “lighthouses” that can help us find encouragement, wisdom, and hope during life’s storms.

Lighthouse #1: Trusted Friends and Family

God created us for community.

There are times when we need to reach out to others and allow them to walk alongside us. Having a support system is not a sign of weakness; it is part of how God designed us.

For many years, there has been a stigma around mental health struggles and seeking help. Thankfully, that stigma is beginning to fade. More people are recognizing that reaching out for counseling or support during difficult seasons is not a failure — sometimes it is a wise and courageous step.

It is okay to feel sad. It is okay to feel angry, anxious, or discouraged. God created us with emotions, and He understands what we experience.

He is not surprised by our struggles. He is not angry when we feel overwhelmed. He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him.

Jesus understands our emotions because He experienced them Himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, Jesus experienced deep sorrow and anguish (Matthew 26:36-46). He understands you because He created you.

More importantly, He loves you and wants to help you.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” — John 3:16

Sometimes people try to encourage us by saying, “You just need more faith.”

But faith is not about never struggling. Jesus only asks for faith as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). Even in moments of doubt, He meets us where we are.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” — Matthew 9:23-24

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1

At some point, we all face discouragement, anxiety, or seasons where we feel overwhelmed. Feeling this way does not mean you are weak or that you lack faith.

But we do need to be mindful of where those thoughts lead us. We have an enemy who wants us to doubt God’s goodness and believe we are alone. That began with the deception of Eve in Genesis 3.

You are not weak because you need encouragement.

Sometimes we simply need a lighthouse.

Sometimes we need someone to remind us that we are not alone.

Who is part of your support system? Who can you reach out to when the storm gets rough?

And if you find yourself without that support, consider finding a local Bible-believing church where you can build relationships, serve, and become part of a community.

And if you know someone who may be feeling lonely or discouraged, reach out. A simple message, prayer, or conversation may be the light they need in the middle of their storm.

In the posts to come, we’ll continue exploring the lighthouses God provides to help us navigate the stormy seas of life.

This post was inspired by “Wisdom for Mental Health” from YouVersion.

anxiety, Fear, Uncategorized

Back to School – Part 2

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

In Part 1, I shared my memories of the first day of school and how much anxiety came with it. I worried about making a mistake, breaking a rule, or disappointing my teacher.

Looking back, I realize I sometimes approached my relationship with God the same way. I wanted to please Him, but I was afraid of getting it wrong.

But God doesn’t leave us guessing. He has given us His Word to teach us, guide us, and help us understand what pleases Him.

So the question is: What does it really look like to live a life that pleases God?.

I believe a lot of times we are looking for something specific. We seek God’s will for our lives. What does He want me to do specifically? While I do believe He a permissive will for us and a perfect will for us, I tend to think we can get too caught up in that. I know there have been times where I didn’t take a step or do anything because I was a afraid it would be the wrong thing. We make plans, but God directs our steps, Proverbs 16:9. If we have a pure heart about a decision, if it’s not where God wants us, He will direct us on the right path.

Our faith is what pleases God. Faith comes by the word of God. I thinks it’s so easy to get wrapped up in God’s plan. Living in fear of doing the wrong thing, worrying about the consequences. I think it was Charles Stanley who said, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.” God will direct our steps, He’s got our backs if we are truly following Him.

Mike Donehey wrote a book, Finding My Life for God’s Will, he says that maybe God isn’t giving us specifics of the plans for us, because He is the plan. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…!” Highly recommend this book! (and I’m not getting paid to say that)

So unlike those first days of school when I worried about making a mistake and ending up in trouble, I don’t have to walk through life afraid of getting everything wrong with God.

My job is not to figure out every detail of the plan before I take a step. My job is to trust Him, seek Him, obey His Word, and follow where He leads.

The Teacher has given us the syllabus. The lessons are right there in His Word. We just need to show up, listen, and be willing to learn.

And thankfully, we don’t have to learn alone. God is with us every step of the way.

anxiety, Fear, Obedience

How to Please God: Lessons from the First Day of School – Part 1

The Kedge Anchor

Photo by Atlantic Ambience on Pexels.com

There was always a feeling of anxiousness going back to school. That first day was always rough. Sometimes I’d hear rumors of how hard my homeroom teacher was going to be and stories from other students the nightmare that homeroom class was for them the year before.

It was always nice to be a little early and see some old friends and kids I hadn’t seen all summer, for a brief moment I would forget about being anxious. Then the bell would ring and all the students would walk into their classrooms. I’d be anticipating the teacher walking in or if the teacher was already there, I’d be accessing his or her mood.

I was always afraid that I would accidentally break a rule, make the teacher mad and send me to the principal’s office get detention and then when I got home, be reprimanded again. But isn’t that just like us humans to catastrophize everything, even as kids.

My goal was to do well in school, make my teacher and parents happy, make some friends and have some fun. But I still had this fear and worry I would do something wrong. I didn’t want to make my teacher mad or break a rule. I lived in fear those first few days of a new school year.

As a Christian, now, all I want to do is love God and obey His word. But I have to admit if I have the wrong perspective, I can live in fear of God. We are to have a reverent fear, an awe of God. Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” I do have a reverent fear of God. He is in control, He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is sovereign and righteous. Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

All I want to do is please God, every day. But I know I am a sinner and I can’t be perfect. God sacrificed His Son to die for us and pay the penalty of sin, so that we can live with Him forever in eternity. Now if someone saved me from a burning building, rescued my from a sinking ship, whatever, I would be forever grateful to that person. I would welcome that person into my life as part of my family, I would stay in contact and give back however I could. The same is for me with God. He saved me from death and gave me eternal life and all I had to do was accept Him and receive the gift of salvation. He is my life, I stay in constant contact and try to give back when I can however I can.

So how do I please God? What can I do to make Him happy? After all it’s only His approval I seek. It’s only His approval that matters. Like the first day of school, I live in awe of God and sovereignty. Unlike the first day of school, I don’t have any anxiety about making a mistake or making God mad. But I began to think, what does make God happy? What do I do to please Him?

I want to obey His word, His commandments. God gave us His word, the Bible. It contains everything we need to know about Him and how to live for Him. But what is that exactly?

The Ten Commandments were the first set of guidelines to live by. After Jesus came to the earth, He narrowed those down to two. Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.“ Ok so there’s two. That’s not all.
Here are some other things I have found.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Outside of the fact God is telling us not to be anxious (Do not be anxious, I believe that is in command form, He’s not suggesting, He’s telling us not to be anxious. Easier said than done, that’s a discussion for another time). So God wants us to communicate with Him about everything always.

Hebrews 11:6 – “ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” and faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God, Romans 10:17

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.” Just exactly what that means. But prayer and talking to God isn’t always bowing our heads and folding our hands. (Another discussion for anther time).

1 Peter 4:9 – “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” Being hospitable, that’s easy, without complaint, not always easy.

Proverbs 3:9 – “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;” Your wealth may not be thousands of dollars in the bank. God just wants you give back and mange what He has given you.

James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Romans 14:17-18 – “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

There are so many more ways we can please God, and this post is already getting long. I think this is a topic I will continue exploring.

Looking back, I realize I spent so much time worrying about disappointing my teachers, breaking a rule, or making a mistake. But God is not waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us. He wants us to learn, grow, and draw closer to Him.

Yes, we should have a reverent fear of God because He is holy and sovereign. But we also have the incredible privilege of knowing Him as our loving Father.

Just like the first day of school, we may feel nervous stepping into a new season. But unlike those first days in the classroom, we don’t have to walk in afraid. God walks with us, teaches us, and guides us.

What are some things you have found in Scripture that show us how to please God? I’d love for you to share in the comments.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow.