Recently I realized that in order to be peaceful and free from anxiety, it’s very important to relax.
Proverbs 14:30a (ESV)
A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh.
D. Edmund Jacobson, who wrote two books on relaxation, said that “any nervous or emotional state fails to exist in the presence of complete relaxation.” If you find yourself tense and plagued with anxiety, relaxing helps it to go away.
Norman Vincent Peale, in his book The Power of Positive Thinking, wrote “To help reduce this tension which seems to dominate our people everywhere, you can start by reducing your own pace. To do that you will need to slow down, quiet down. Do not fume. Do not fret. Practice being peaceful.”
Later in the book, he wrote “A simple faith in and practice of the principles and techniques of Christianity bring peace and quietness and therefore new power to body, mind, and spirit. It is the perfect antidote to fuming and to fretting. It helps a person to become peaceful and thus to tap new resources of strength.” For example, try meditating on and practicing the following Scriptures:
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Also, Philippians 4 gives us a great method for getting rid of anxiety.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious [distracted] about anything, but in everything, by prayer and prayer request with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God,
7 and the peace of God, which is more excellent than every way of thinking, will protect your hearts and your thinking in Christ Jesus.
Instead of being anxious, we can pray about everything, and then the peace of God will protect our hearts and our thinking.