Today's Word of Encouragement

SUFFERING THE HEEBIE JEEBIES

Thursday, April 02, 2020

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Anxiety is not just a mental or emotional problem. It can become a spiritual problem as well. After a full week of Coronavirus quarantine, I have started to get the ‘heebie jeebies’, which the dictionary defines as ‘a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies’. Nancy thinks I am suffering from ‘cabin fever’, which is probably a better explanation of what I am feeling. My problem is that I have a depressive nature, and having the heebie jeebies for a long period of time can trigger depression in me. For me, that becomes a spiritual problem.

The Apostle Paul gives people like me a remedy for keeping the heebie jeebies at bay - in everything by prayer (general prayer) and supplication (specific prayer), with thanksgiving (gratitude), let your requests be made known to God (talk to God about it). Then we must get practical about our prayers. One of the practical things we must do after praying about the heebie jeebies is LET GOD BE GOD. The psalmist said it this way (Psalm 46:10), Be still, and know that I am God. That is the hardest thing for me to do. When I am suffering ‘cabin fever’ or ‘the heebie jeebies’, I cannot sit still. I walk. I pace. I go back and forth between rooms in the house or between the house and the back patio. I don’t think I’m worried about anything, I just can’t engage in my normal activities, and that becomes frustrating.

Rather than letting what I can and can’t do today be the lord of my thoughts, I need to let the Holy Spirit be the Lord of my thoughts. How? Just what Paul said, continue to pray generally and specifically, express gratitude to God, and continue to talk to Him. I’ve got to be still and let God be God in my thoughts, emotions, and in my day. That’s good encouragement for all of us.

Pastor Martin