Raise your hand if you’re tired of the confusion and chaos that comes at you from seventeen different directions? 

Me too.

I don’t think I’ve ever lived during a time when I was happier when I didn’t listen to the news, read a newspaper, watch TV or talk about current events. I have always enjoyed listening and watching about world events. But lately, not so much. While factual information is important, the kind of crazy nonsense that consumes our airwaves it not, so as we dive into 2022, let’s find a way to lower our anxiety managing the only thing we can control—ourselves. 

Anxiety will tell you four lies and we believe them hook, line and sinker. 1. I must have all the answers for everything. 2. Everything must be perfect. 3. I must be in control. 4. I must have approval of others. 

Who has faced a situation and believed all of that? And the more we believe it the higher our anxiety level rises. Why? Because we can’t be perfect, we don’t have all the answers, we aren’t in control and approval of everyone is impossible. And then anxiety whispers in our ear, “You must get this figured out or you are a total failure. Don’t ask for help. Don’t stop until it’s right.”

It’s time to get the biggest dumpster you can find and put this way of thinking in it. Don’t recycle it, burn that trash!

What do we do instead?

We take a pause and name the fear. What is making us fearful? A phone call? A confrontation? A job review? A relationship issue? Rejection? Whatever it is, write it down. Fear is forced to loosen its grip when we identify it. 

Secondly, flip the script. Instead of rehearsing the negative conversation repeatedly, tell yourself a different story. Maybe you won’t get rejected. Maybe your job review will be fantastic. Maybe the confrontation is just what you need. Maybe a simple phone call can solve the problem. Remember, 99 percent of the things we worry about, never even happen. 

Thirdly, ask yourself the question, if God is for us, who can be against us? Give this whole thing to God and trust Him with the outcome. He wants what’s good for you, He doesn’t want to ruin you. He is working on your character. He wants to lead you into what He has planned for you….and his plan is always better than anything you could ever ask or imagine. 

Confusion comes from the enemy; clarity comes from God. In 2022, trust Him to give you a clear path and leave the fear and anxiety behind.