How Can I Overcome My Anxiety Over What's Going on in the World?

It is a fact that the Word of God can offer a great deal of comfort, strength and encouragement when we face the present world situation full of some worrisome events. This 'comfort' is not a form of blissful ignorance but rather is based on fully comprehension and understanding.

One must make sure, however, not to do the wrong thing in settling for comfort without commitment.

Spend more of your valuable time thinking about God's plan for you and His plan for the future. Don't waste time fretting about things you cannot really control anyway.

The world is fast consuming a steady feed of news on a daily basis, and you may develop a sense of anxiety over what you see. Most news reporting is focused on negative events, or what has gone wrong. So, you could get the impression that everything is spinning out of control. A solid biblical perspective can look at the same events and conclude: "everything is proceeding according to plan."

Here are key elements of a biblical perspective :

Firstly, you have to believe that God exists and His power is unlimited.

Calamitous events are not an indication that God has lost control. The universe is not a contest between good and evil in which we do not know the outcome. The outcome is certain and is moving forward on a schedule determined by God. Faith in God’s power and a good understanding of His Word can help you overcome worry and anxiety.

Secondly, believe in the Word of God.

Your Bible is filled with prophetic statements about events that have come to pass. These fulfilled prophecies testify to God’s power and validate the authority of scripture. Accepting the Bible as authoritative gives us confidence regarding all it has to say about events that have not yet come to pass.

Thirdly, get to know what is the plan.

Gain perspective and understanding on God’s plan and how it is unfolding according to biblical prophecy.

Fourthly, get personal.

Your Creator also has a personal plan for you. It's a step-by-step plan that will lead you into a glorious future in His family. Learning more about this plan is the project of a lifetime.

Fifthly, the comfort in the Word of God.

God’s Word can offer a great deal of comfort in the face of worrisome events. Mentioned above, this "comfort" is not a form of blissful ignorance but rather is based on understanding. In 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Paul finishes a detailed review of future events saying "comfort, encourage, strengthen one another with these words."

That same strength and encouragement can be yours.

Lastly, readjust what you think about.

Last but not least, you might want to reconsider how much time and attention you devote to news watching. You cannot avoid seeing firsthand the disturbing changes in our society and surrounding culture but you needn’t dwell on it.

Focus your attention on the positive future God has in store (Philippians 4:4-8). Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. It's easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances.

Spend more of your valuable time thinking about God’s plan for you and His plan for the future. Don’t waste time fretting about things you cannot really control anyway (Matthew 6:33-34).

People who have this biblical perspective are not unaware of the evils all around them. They are grieved by what they see. But they are not overcome with anxiety or fear.

God's peace is different from the world's peace. It comes by knowing that God is in control. God's peace will guard our hearts against fear and anxiety.