How To Have Victory When What You Feel Is Angst

I love cheering you on.

I’ve got fifty-five years worth of life’s buffeting and blessings. That’s enough life to enable me to see more clearly — even as my physical eyes dim.


By grabbing hold of the bigger-picture story, we can view things through the wider lens. Looking at life from God’s perspective lends to our victory.


Dear Lord, help me see as You see. God’s throne room is the place we seek to live from; a position of wisdom and peace.


But sometimes I can't see clearly.

Battles get blurry. Sometimes . . . I get weary and worn and want to run. In those times, I’d fly wildly to Heaven if I had wings.


When I feel overlooked or forgotten, criticized or rebuked, when I’m facing my own failure or the occasional day when I feel like the sky is literally falling . . . it’s in those times that my eyes seem to acquire scales.


We take turns being blind, don’t we?


I’ve noticed this in my marriage. When I’m floundering, he’s strong. When he needs encouragement, I seem to be ready to give it. Thankfully we don’t go in the dumps together often.


I’ve noticed it outside of marriage too. I encourage and pray for people when they are down. But soon after, I find I need prayer and encouragement from my people.


We can’t soldier alone. 


In our first online sermon due to CV-19, Pastor addressed our need to be together. He talked about how we often don’t know what we’ve got ’till it’s gone. (Isn’t that true?! Are you feeling lonely yet?)


In the case of our current quarantine, we need to pray our restriction on meeting together is very temporary. Please, Lord!

Pastor read from Romans 1:11-12:

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 

And Holy Spirit reminded me of Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Feeling forgotten is part of the human experience.

It’s true that though we are mindful and reach out when we are stirred, we simply cannot be for others what we’d like to be.

Conversely, in our God-designed need for one another, we shouldn’t expect people to completely satisfy the void we feel.

We help each other a lot, but can never take the place of God.


So, this season, as much as we seek to make the most of it — and HATS OFF to those who are sharing their songsdances, and art online — I LOVE your brave efforts SO much!! — we are going to feel lonely sometimes.


And I want to encourage both of us with what I learned during our painful uprootings:

It is in this aching, longing, and angst within our hearts that God comes in with his comfort, hope, and peace. He proves Himself to us in the perhaps customized cycle of need, prayer, rescue, and relief. He helps us know Him as the One who loves and redeems and rescues us.
He builds our faith, worth more than gold.
The angst keeps us clinging to Him, forcing us to hold to hope, cling to His promises, and practice fixing our eyes on the Day of His return. John 14:2-3



What to do when you feel lonely:

  1. Sing. There is an oft-played song on Christian radio called Raise A Hallelujah. It reminds us that when we are at war, we can sing for victory. The Psalms are replete with the call to sing and make music to the Lord. You might be hearing those sharing songs online and you feel momentarily blessed, but maybe stop scrolling and sing your own song to God. You'll be calling up faith and hope and joy from the well within you. God has written His word on our hearts, and I believe singing to Him calls it forth.
  2. Seek deeper intimacy with God: Pray. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24 Ask Jesus to satisfy your longings.
  3. Reach Out.  Reach out for prayer from others, yes. (Please ask me! I'd love to pray with you!) But also reach out to BLESS others.

You'll kick angst to the curb when you know you are a present.

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