Carrie Marrs - Calm Your Anxious Mind: Daily Devotions to Manage Stress and Build Resilience

ZONDERVAN

Calm Your Anxious Mind

2021 by Zondervan

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition October 2021 : ISBN 978-0-310-45573-8

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked CEV are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked GNT are from the Good News Translation in Todays English VersionSecond Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. HCSB is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message. Copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are from the New Century Version. Copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NET are from the NET Bible copyright 19962017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971 . Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

21 22 23 24 25 REP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

Contents

H ows today been for you?

Maybe it was smooth sailing until a life-curveball totally rattled you. Or youve been trying to tune out a string of concerns running like a newsfeed at the back of your mind. A swirl of tasks, questions, and worries might have you knotted up inside, or a growing pile of problems might be feeling heavier by the hour.

You could even be in a darker place. Maybe youre reeling from a series of life-punches. Maybe hope feels out of reach.

When was the last time you breathed deeply? Or felt a grounding sense of peace, a surge of confidence, or a joyful lightness? Its not just you. Everybodys got their stuff. Even if todays been a good day, the waters may get rough again. We all face challenging times and the mash-up of feelings that come with them.

We were made with complex emotions, big hearts that care, and powerful brains that want to figure things out. Put us in a broken world and things are bound to get complicated.

But guess what? God knows how were built, He knows what were in the middle of, and He can handle it all. He says to us, Come here. Closer. Lay it all out. Well look at it together. Yes, I see it all. Will you let Me carry that for you? Will you let Me provide what you need for this journey? Now, keep close as we go on together.

Cast all your anxieties on Me, He says. Be anxious for nothing and pray instead, He says. Ill be your strength, be all the help you need, and make a way toward your bright future with Me.

And so this is a book about moving through our struggles with the Mighty One. The One who knows us best and loves us most, who has abundance and beauty and dreamy goodness in mind for us. The One who calls us into His power and fullness of life.

Listen, Ive dealt with fear and anxiety for as long as I can remember. I still deal with it! For me, part of being alive and worshiping God means continually staring down my monsters and returning to truths I can hang on to. It means forming habits that keep me healthy, connected, and productive. Ive learned I have to cultivate a mindset and lifestyle that help me be joyful, grateful, and alive with purpose. It requires brutal honesty and a teachable spirit. But much of it has to do with staying in tune with the Voice of Love.

So lets dive into this together.

Were going to talk about winning the battle of the mind and managing feelings and being still so we can receive peace. Well look at the crazy force called hope and dependence on the One with all the resources. Well explore some of His amazing gifts: healing relationships, wisdom for wellness, a spirit of power, and heaps of agency. Well think about how we can live in the light every day and become sunshine for our part of the world.

Our God is an awesome and compassionate God. He didnt leave us to our sin; Hes not leaving us to our anxiety either. He will create a way forward for us, just like He has before.

Hes full of comfort and love and power. Hes offering you peace and wisdom and freedom.

Come see.

JANUARY

You Are Known
and Held

A nxiety is like a fog that keeps you from seeing whats right in front of you. It fools you into thinking youre alone. It gets you constantly anticipating danger, expecting the worst.

In reality, though, youre never alone. The One who is with you understands you perfectly. He knows your whole story and holds your future. Hell hold all your hopes, fears, and feelings too, if youll let Him. Hell help you sense more than just potential danger.

The fog will lift eventually. In the meantime, Hell be your safe place.