The pilot announced, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is we will have a smooth takeoff. The bad news is due to a thunderstorm we will have a shaky ride and landing.”
Why did he have to announce we would have a shaky ride? I don’t particularly love flying and knowing in advance turbulence was coming did not help.
Coping with anxiety and fear suddenly took priority in my mind.
Learning to cope means we find the capacity to deal with difficulty. We all face situations that require strategies for coping.
Coping with anxiety always gets real when I fly, and knowing we were going to encounter unsteady weather quickly ignited the stirrings of anxiety and fear.
There are many other situations that can trigger anxiety and fear.
As Christ’s followers, it is helpful to have spiritual tools that make coping with anxiety possible while building trust in God.
5 Ways for Coping with Anxiety
#1 Breathe
Deep breathing helps us relax and calm down.
Breathing while connecting with God is a powerful starting point for coping with anxiety and releasing fear.
Breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out fear. Repeat.
#2 Reroute your Thoughts
As the plane encountered the dreaded turbulence, my mind started to go crazy. I began to breathe and tried to reroute my rogue thoughts, which is difficult to do amid escalating emotions.
Coping with anxiety begins with capturing unhealthy thoughts and replacing them with God’s promises.
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NLT
“We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 GW
#3 Envision Jesus beside, in front of, or holding you
Jesus walks beside us all the time, whether we are calm or anxious.
On my bumpy flight, I pictured Jesus sitting beside me and began to pray, carrying on a conversation about my fear.
After we finally touched down, I looked at my friend and said, I knew we would be okay. Jesus was sitting right next to me. She said, “No, He was in the cockpit!”
We had both spent our time envisioning Jesus near us while we prayed.
“The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.
And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
#4 Recite Scripture and Sing Worship Songs
Studying the Bible changes your life. It draws you into a special intimacy with Jesus and gives you the wisdom to combat anxiety and other struggles.
Worship songs are also powerful when coping with anxiety and fear.
Music has a way of connecting us to God whether we sing, hum, say a prayer, or listen.
If you are entering a stressful situation where you may need to calm down, have some songs and scriptures ready to sing and recite.
#5 Surrender the Anxiety to God
Learning to surrender is not easy, especially when coping with anxiety and fear.
But when we breathe, pray, recite scripture, and sing worship songs, surrendering becomes possible.
The weight began lifting off my shoulders as I felt God’s presence and sensed His hand holding me.
The most significant benefit of surrender is releasing control, letting go, and finding rest in the bubble of God’s provision and safety.
Surrendering to God and trusting Him with your life is ultimately the only place to find spiritual peace.
Bible Verses to Ease Anxiety
There are many bible verses to ease anxiety.
Here are four scriptures that may help when coping with anxiety becomes a problem.
5 Bible Verses to Ease Anxiety
“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good. Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me.”
Psalms 23:1-4 ERV
“Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).”
Psalms 55:22 AMP
“When anxiety overtakes me and worries are many, Your comfort lightens my soul.”
Psalms 94:19 VOICE
“What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And he knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7 TLB
“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
1 Peter 5:7 AMP
Coping with Anxiety and Trusting God
Coping with anxiety helps tame a huge distraction that can sideline our faith.
Whatever triggers anxiety and fear debilitates and consumes you.
As I sat fighting my thoughts and emotions, I looked at my friend and realized she was facing her battles.
She has motion sickness and was taking steps to cope with anxiety to avoid using the white bag in the seatback in front of her.
Our fear while facing the same situation reminded me of the disciples facing a storm with Jesus sitting beside them in the boat.
“The same evening, Jesus suggested they cross over to the other side of the lake. As they sailed, a storm formed.
The winds whipped up huge waves that broke over the bow, filling the boat with so much water that even the experienced sailors among them were sure they were going to sink.
Jesus was back in the stern of the boat, sound asleep on a cushion, when the disciples shook Him awake.
Disciples (shouting over the storm): Jesus, Master, don’t You care that we’re going to die?
He got up, shouted words into the wind, and commanded the waves.
Jesus: That’s enough! Be still!
And immediately the wind died down to nothing, the waves stopped.
Jesus: How can you be so afraid? After all you’ve seen, where is your faith?”
Mark 4:35-41 VOICE
In the same way, Jesus asked the disciples, Where is your faith? I have to stop and ask myself the same question when anxiety or fear begins to creep in.
Coping with anxiety helps exercise your faith muscle. It confirms our belief that Jesus is greater than anything we face.
As children of God our faith should grow so that even when facing death, we trust Him completely and confidently find peace in Him.
God gives us a new identity when we place our lives in His hands.
Turning our lives over to Christ supplies our spirit with supernatural confidence and peace.
Author
Mary Rooney Armand
Mary is the founder and writer for the faith-based blog Butterflyliving.org. Her writing is featured on multiple platforms. She is the author of “Uniquely Made, Understanding and Embracing Your Identity in Christ” and “Life-Changing Stories,” a collaboration with 34 authors available on Amazon.
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