Daily Devotional: 6/14/2018 - ANZIETY

"Anxiety is fear mixed with control, when you can't control something the only thing left to do is rage." Andy Mineo "Anxiety"

There is a rush. You cannot feel your feet, they all of a sudden go numb. You get sea legs, your knees are now your elbows. Your head is going a millions miles a minute. Your heart is beating right out you chest. The voice in the back of your head is so loud all you can think of doing is squeeze your hands against your ears hoping the voice does not push your brain out. Have you been there? Well, same. It is called an anxiety attack. They can be a common thing. For me, this semester they were almost a daily occurrence. Anxiety is not fun at all, it is not a joke, and it is real. It is your mind controlling your body, it makes you feel like everything is fake. It is sort of like an out of body experience at times. The great thing about anxiety is that it believes in equality, because it does not discriminate. It affects everyone. It affects the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the happy and the sad, it does not care whether your white, black, brown, yellow or purple. Anxiety is the devil working his way into our minds and our hearts. He is trying to bring us down to his level. I am going to use two great songs in this devotional, because music is life. I am going to use Anziety by Logic (Logic - Anziety (Official Audio)) and Anxiety by Andy Mineo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5vkj5TpIAA?rel=0). I guess it is pretty obvious why I chose these two songs. I will go to Logic a lot through this ministry because he is someone that constantly helps me get through my battles. I will go to Andy and the rest of Reach Records because they make dope music, but almost preach and know the Truth.

"I’ma get up in your mind right now

I’ma get up in your, I’ma get it

Gon' get up, gon' get up

Gon' get up, get up, get up, get up

I’ma get up in your mind right now

Make you feel like dying right now

I’ma make you pray to God

To the good old Lord for a sign right now

To the good old Lord

I’ma get up in your mind right now

Make you feel like dying right now

I’ma make you pray to God

To the good old Lord for a sign right now

To the good old Lord"

"'I’ma make it some day some how' what you telling yourself

But you ain’t focused on what's important: mentality, health Everybody in the world only want one thing, what's that?

Infinite power and a pocket full of wealth

Its like ohhh I'ma bring it back to the basics

Nobody can erase it

People in the street going ape shit

Battling depression but nobody wanna say s-

I'ma bring it back to the basics

I'ma bring it back to the basics

I'ma get up, get on

That’s what I been on

F- with your mind, tryna turn s- on

But they want to paint me as a villain

Even though I’m here to open their mind

Through the rhyme of life

I gotta open their mind and design the right time

To make a decision and get in 'em like an incision

'Cause I'ma hit 'em and give 'em livin'

They wonder what I’m giving, I'ma never give in

I gotta let everybody know

I'm in their mind right now"

This is the chorus and the first verse of the song Azniety. Logic is one of the best for a reason, here is rapping from the perspective of anxiety. Anxiety makes you feel like there is no end. It takes advantage of all that is going on in the world. It will attack you at your highest and it will especially pay attention when you are at your lowest. Anxiety is a worldly illness, it was created by the devil. All the devil needs is a small crack in the door to your heart. Anxiety is a mental illness, it is all mental, but it takes a physical toll. There is not much that is more exhausting than an anxiety attack. Everything is fine, but your mind is telling you that you are in danger. You feel off balance. Like I said, anxiety attacks you whether you are rich or poor, whether you are happy or sad; I totally recommend you listen to Azniety, because Logic is someone you would expect to be happy all the time but he talks about how he had a severe anxiety attack not more than a couple years ago.

"My heart it run around in my chest

Even in my bed there’s no rest

Your voice is so loud

And nobody hears that sound but me

I hope I don’t drown

My air is trying to leave

Try to breathe for a second

Make believe for a second (it’s all in your mind)

That it’ll be alright, alright, alright, alright, alright

That it’ll be alright, alright, alright, alright, alright

That it’ll be alright, alright"

This is the verse from         Anxiety        . Andy is someone who keeps it real all the time. He is never shy to let you know how he feels, where his mind is at. Another perfect song to listen to of his is the Honest 2 God Freestyle, and boy was he honest to God. Anxiety is a silent killer. It is something that only we can hear. I bolded the entire verse, because I love the way he describes anxiety, it is nothing but correct. Anxiety comes when you lack control. I am very future oriented person, I like to be in control in what I am doing. This is why this past semester was a huge anxiety attack. First semester was perfect, I had everything going for me, and I was looking forward to the next semester. But everything that I pictured that was going to happen, who I was going to be with, flipped. Nothing went as planned. Plans changed. Dreams shattered. Nothing I wanted to do, went right. I had no control and I ran. I just tried running to God, but at the same time I ran right past him. There was night where I could not sleep, and when I finally did fall asleep is because I would stress myself into an anxiety attack. There was one day, I literally could not stand, I went straight from laying on my bed to the floor and I could not get back up. There was one where I was in the middle of class and I was trying to fix something, and one thing led to another, I am sitting in my chair trying not to burst into tears and trying to keep my head from exploding. I had an anxiety attack in the middle of class, and all of a sudden before I know it, I had fell asleep in the middle of class and there was nothing that was going to stop me from falling asleep. I had reach my limit. I was so mentally and physically exhausted at this point. I had no where to go, well I had one place to go (God), but I did not want to go there, I was scared.

"I'ma bring it back to the basics

Nobody can erase it

People in the street going ape shit

Battling depression but nobody wanna say shit

Why nobody wanna say:

I been living with this everyday

Why nobody wanna say:

Everything will be ok

I'ma bring it back to the basics

Everything will be okay

I remember somehow, someway

I remember somehow, someway

I remember somehow, someway

I remember somehow, someway"        

What is a negative without a positive. That was the second verse to Azniety, I am now also going to hit you with scripture. Do not forget everything will be okay. It is a mental illness, we just have to slow everything down. It is okay to take a step back sometimes. Not everything has to be done right now and then. Do not plan out your life right now, you have time; and I have found out God has a plan, and once you start messing with the plan, he will mess with yours. Life is too short, we cannot stress over the little things. There are things that we will not be able to control. We are only humans. We have limitations. There is only one thing without limitations and that is God. We have to lean on him always, not only sometimes. God is our rock, our shield, our comforter. 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." He wants us to come to him, he wants us to give him all that we cannot handle. He wants us to cast all our anxiety on him. He has already beat the devil, and he will continually beat the devil. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus." We have to pray, we have to talk with God. Let him hear your heart. Have an open heart towards his love, grace, and wisdom. Let him know your thoughts and troubles. He is our Heavenly Father, he wants to know how we are doing. John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus was peace and he gave us peace. He died in order for all our sins to be forgiven. He sent the Spirit in his place. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and very courageous." God is always there for us, he wants us to be strong and courageous. He wants us to trust in him. He has the plan, we just have to walk the path. Matthew 6:25-33 tells us that we are not in control of our life, but we have control over who dictates it. So say today and always, "Not Today Satan". Remember the devil hits hard, but Jesus hits harder. Let God take over, he already has a plan and path for us. Remember to walk during the day when you have light to see your path. Read and follow the Word, it is the light to our path.

You are not the only one suffering with depression and anxiety. Talk with God, talk with someone, you can even talk with me. You are not alone in this war.

Lord, thank you the great strength you show on a daily basis. Thank you for taking on all our anxiety and our depression. You are our peace. You are our rock. You are the reason for life. I pray that you give us the courage to come to you. The wisdom to get over what we need to get over. Allow no bump to knock us over. I pray you continue to be the open arms in our life. I pray all this in your son's name, Amen.

#LetsBeAMovement