We’ve all had a night where anxious thoughts fill our mind, keeping us from the precious sleep we need. Some of us, more often than others. In fact, Jesus experiencing this same thing when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane. You’re not alone, but better rest can be yours with a few simple steps.
1) Think about Jesus. Think about the fact that he was plagued with anxiety that night in the Garden. We can add to our stress by feeling like there is something wrong with us, but God in the flesh was up late plagued with anxiety. The fact that you might feel that anxiety doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. Fill your mind with thoughts of Jesus and find a scripture that you can meditate on to draw your thoughts away from anxiety and onto his truth.
2) Think of other people. Sometimes, if I’m up late or just woken up in the middle of the night, I think to myself, maybe there’s a mom right now who’s up because she has cancer. She’s stressed about her kids. Or perhaps there is a man who doesn’t know what he’s going to eat tomorrow. Maybe God has me up in solidarity to pray for that person. Making our best efforts to move our thoughts from our own problems onto others allows us to have gratitude, compassion, and ultimately allow God to do his work in and through us.
Anxiety is complex. And while God can do a healing work in us all, there is great strength in seeking additional counsel or help from medical professionals in the matter.
