How to Rise Above Anxiety: Keep Calm and Look to the Almighty God

Worldwide, we are facing a Covid-19 virus epidemic on which much information is circulating. The greatest enemy we face at this time is fear and anxiety. This article will highlight 3 keys for rising above anxiety so you can have peace in the midst of the Covid-19 storm.

NO ENTRY! - Incoming Passengers Barred Under New Measures Announced by the Government of Jamaica

All Jamaican airports and seaports will be closed to incoming passenger traffic effective March 21, at 11:59 p.m., as the Government increases its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Incoming and outgoing cargo as well as outgoing passengers will be allowed.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who made the announcement in a press conference last evening, said the new measures would run for an initial 14 days.

Three more patients have been confirmed with the virus bringing the total to 19… The Jamaican Gleaner March 21, 2020

Cruise Ship Docked at Ocho Rios Seaport

Entire closure of Jamaica's tourism industry due to COVID-19

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is admitting that the entire tourism industry in Jamaica is facing imminent closure given the travel restrictions on many of its source markets as well as local containment and restriction protocols.

This admission comes as larger hotel chains and smaller hotels announce closures and the laying off of staffers. The latest hotel chain to announce that it will stop receiving guests is Decameron All-inclusive Hotels and Resorts… Jamaica Observer, March 21, 2020

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Who would imagine that in Christmas December 2019, we world-wide would be facing a crisis in 2020 due to a virus called Covid-19? There are many articles on the Covid-19 virus about the symptoms, efforts to find a vaccine, daily reminders of the number of case... In this article, we focus on 3 keys for rising above the anxiety of the situation.

Treasure Beach in Jamaica

Key 1: Relinquish Control

Can worrying about the direct and indirect effects of the Covid-19 virus help us (Luke 12:25)? If we worry about small stuff and can't do anything about it, do you think worrying can manage the big stuff?

One December I went to New York City from Kingston to attend a course. At that time of the year, plane rides tend to be bumpy because of the winter season. On the plane ride to New York, the plane hit a bumpy patch and I was anxious and started to worry. God reminded me that I have authority over the storm, so I spoke to the storm raging outside and within a minute the bumpiness went away. On the ride back, the plane hit a bumpy patch near the southeastern coast of the United States. All my speaking to the storm wouldn’t quell the storm and I was wondering why my words were useless. Then looking down the aisle of the plane I saw the air hostesses chatting and having a wonderful time! So, I said to myself, “If they are not worried, why am I worried,” and the anxiety left right away.

To rise above the anxiety, accept that we are not in control; we are not sovereign and God is mighty and in control (Philippians 4:11-12). There is nothing you can do in certain times but wait for God to finish doing what he is going to do. Rest in this, God knows what he is going to do.

“Acceptance of powerlessness is the mother of peace.”

Key 2: Rediscover your Center

The unfortunate reality is that the spirit of man is the center of our being which is connected to God. This is how we tap into the strength of God. People emphasize their bodies and their minds, but bodies age and minds get overloaded. The spiritual part of man is reinforced by the divine power of God and is the part that is not limited by the body and the mind but is the part that gets the least attention.

Whenever you find your mind going here and there, check your sprit as it means your spirit man is not being engaged. Engaging is done through meditation which means arresting and analyzing our random thoughts. We then create an environment where we think about what we are thinking about. We then force the thoughts of our carnal mind to agree with the divine and positive nature of our spirit and this helps us to manage random anxiety.

The people who manage the pressures of the world well are those who have developed a strategy to engage their spirits.

Whenever I get back to my spirit, my spirit brings my soul into divine order and I drop into the lap of peace (Romans 8:6).

“You have to find God for yourself now and if you don’t know him for yourself, you have to discover him for yourself." RC Blakes

Key 3: Reinvent Yourself

Don’t waste your energy on panic in a crisis, for it is an opportunity for self-development. The flipside of tragedy is opportunity, for what destroyed Egypt promoted Israel. Don't get scared, become a stronger, wiser person through the crisis. Learn things that will make you at rest and at peace for you walk by faith and not by sight.

For example, you could come out of this crisis with a plan, you could identify which stocks to buy while they are cheap, (Isaiah 43:19)

Every crisis is designed to extract the full potential of your soul so when life throws lemons at you, pick them up and make lemonade.

References

RC Blakes, Jr. "Rise Above Anxiety," Talk on Facebook, March 18, 2020

The Jamaican Gleaner, Online, March 21, 2020

The Jamaica Observer, Online, March 21, 2020

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Jacqueline Cameron is a writer with decades of writing experience running the gamut from blogging to reporting. She lives in Kingston, Jamaica and is the chief writer for the Jamaica So Nice Blog. She is a trained engineer and musician and loves to see people transformed through her work.