There’s lots to freak out about right now isn’t there? From our kids’ choices and business pressures to policy issues we are passionate about, there’s always something. And those “somethings” are often very real concerns.
Yet the bigger concern is one we often don’t see: Are we making things worse, in our mind and heart, by losing perspective? In other words: Are we making things worse by freaking out?
I recently shared a meal with someone who was getting more and more agitated as she described an issue she cares about. A LOT. It is an extremely important issue, and she is doing great things in working with it. But I also notice there’s a lot of tension in her mind and heart these days. It has impacted her relationships with people who love her but may disagree with her. She seems to have slipped from caring about an important issue to being trapped by it.
And I hate to admit this, but as I looked at her that day, I (internally) got a bit judgy. The poor thing just needs to take a deep breath. But then something crazy happened: I felt like God gently challenged me: You do the exact same thing, you know.
Ouch.
My mind quickly scrolled through memories of that business setback that sent me into so much worry about our finances. And that season I couldn’t stop myself from reading about a particular situation. And the hours and hours I have lost mentally crafting the perfect response to a difficult person. In every single one of those situations I lost perspective, was freaking out, and it was hurting my heart.
We all do this. In many, many different ways.
So, how can we not do this? How can we cultivate a healthy response when we hear something that rocks our world? In future months, we will dive into this topic a bit more, but for now, here are four starting-point methods to not freak out.
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