How Repentance Lessens Anxiety

During times when I’ve been so crushed by pain or stressful circumstances and my anxiety is elevated to unhealthy levels, the following verses from Psalms 139 helped me reclaim my peace in God: 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm‬ ‭139:23-24‬

How does this Psalm help bring unhealthy levels of anxiety under control?

Well, when I ask God to search me for any sin I may be harboring, it is an honest appeal which reflects a desire to live in heart-felt obedience to Him. Sin separates us from the sense of God’s presence. It is impossible to be filled with God’s presence and also be anxious because GOD is not anxious or fearful about anything! But remember—HE is also completely righteous. Naturally, our sin, even if it is WORRY, separates us from a strong sense of His presence and naturally, increases our anxiety.

We must remember that ANYTHING we allow our mind to dwell on which takes us from the presence of God destroys our peace and security. God’s Word promises:

“Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, WITHOUT dread of disaster.”

Proverbs 1:33

In fact, even the very state of being anxious separates us further from God because it is a sign that we are doubting His character. Sometimes our sin is so sneaky and our heart so desperate and blind that we must ask God to—reveal it to us. Therefore, the remedy is to ask God to “search our heart.” Until we’re willing to be honest about every sin—we’ll never be free of its awful grip on us and—we will never decrease our anxiety.

Sin is the enslaving enemy of our peace; Jesus, the Prince of Peace, died so we could live in freedom.

We must renew our mind in God’s Word and learn to think about sin with the mind of Christ. We must determine to hate it and rid ourselves of its destructive force within our heart. Jesus set us free to live a life greater than we can imagine! At the end of Job’s horrible trials, he said: 

“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You [God] asked [me], ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You [God] said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ [Job replied] ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and REPENT in dust and ashes.’”‭‭‬ 

Job‬ ‭42‬:‭2‬-‭6

What was Job repenting of? Had he committed some great hidden sin as his accusing “friends” had said he did? No! In his sermon, “Job Among the Ashes,” Charles Spurgeon suggested Job was repenting of several things:

• Job repented of the terrible curse he had pronounced upon the day of his birth.
• Job repented of his desire to die.
• Job repented of his complaints against and challenges to God.
• Job repented of his despair.
• Job repented that his statements had been a “darkening of wisdom by words without knowledge;” that he spoke beyond his knowledge and ability to know.

Job understood the limitations of his ability to understand the mind of God—especially when clouded by his terrible trials. Ah, my friend, God understands our frailty too. He also knows better than we do—AND our completely desperate need for His presence. The problem is NOT Him—it’s us. We need to have a deep and abiding understanding of our NEED for God. When we do, we recognize that the immense self-destructive force of anxiety wreaking havoc upon us is because we are choosing to live AS IF our ways are better than His ways. We have a strong desire to repent—do a 180 degree turn—from whatever thought or behavior is separating us from our strong sense of God’s presence. What a blessing it is to repent!!!

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

My friend, repentance is not just for salvation; it is also a habit which keeps us close to God and leads us on His path of peace.

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

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