Peace in Anxiety, Hope in Depression, Joy in Affliction

BY FAITH, peace may be experienced in anxiety, hope in depression, and joy in affliction — all as biblical principles of promise.

Peace in Anxiety

During the few seasons of anxiety that I’ve had, there was always a search going on to identify the cause in order to fix it. Some anxiety appears difficult to pinpoint, but there are always possible causes that can be identified. Peace comes as a result of a productive search. Anxiety otherwise is the antithesis of peace. But peace also comes in acceptance — to know that the heart can be slowed manually when we do relaxation techniques.

Peace in anxiety is possible when we have discovered some of the causes of our concerns.

Hope in Depression

If there’s one thing that’s of scant provision in depression it’s hope. Hope is a blessing in the present and critical for the future. Hope rests easy knowing things, as they are, are good. Rarely can a depressed person, or someone in a depression, say they are hopeful or hope-filled. Hope in depression is contingent on replacing our fearful thoughts with something motivational and positive. As soon as we’re able to wrest the fearful thoughts from our thinking we’re able to see and experience God’s wisdom, goodness and grace.

Hope in depression is about our thinking processes. Thinking in truth, guarding against fear, we have the capacity for hope.

Joy in Affliction

Many times in my life I’ve struggled not so much with mental health concerns, but with the courage or insight to remain joyful in hardship. Such times I have had no issue with energy or motivation, and I was able to knuckle down in the hardship confronting me. But I didn’t often have joy. Until that is I faced the truth that I was bearing up really well under the pressure, considering, and I knew that that pressure would not last. Affliction never lasts indefinitely, especially when we begin to look for the silver lining in the dark cloud overhead. Add to this the quiet satisfaction, that, if this present struggle hasn’t defeated us yet, it’s unlikely to happen.

Joy in affliction is simply about mindset. The hardest things you’ve ever felt or suffered are happening to you right now: consider it pure joy that you have capacity for it.

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Peace in anxiety, hope in depression, joy in affliction: all are possible through a cogent faith in God.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.

Image Credit: Shehan Peruma.