Joy in the Journey: Strategies to Navigate Anxiety, Spiritual, and Personal Development

No matter who we are or what we encounter in life, challenges will be embedded as part of our spiritual and personal development. While circumstances can produce anxiety, God doesn’t intend to hurt us through what He allows in our lives. It is quite the opposite.

As we develop fortitude amid struggles, we also encounter the reward of the Lord’s Presence. Always with us, the Holy Spirit is the treasure in earthen vessels who reveals unforeseen blessings in times of unprecedented suffering. Instead of abandoning our anticipation for God’s goodness, the Lord arises when we cling to Him in hope, scattering the enemies of doubt and destruction.

When we apply and exercise what the Holy Spirit teaches in life’s classroom, we develop the kind of personal habits and spiritual character that shift spiritual atmospheres and overcome evil. Our obedience and alignment with the Word flood the Light of Christ in our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. He illuminates our ways, dispelling darkness and directing us away from harmful patterns that hijack the life of peace and joy we are created to live (Job 22:28).

When we choose to rivet our attention on Jesus, we encounter the richness of a Holy God who makes everything new (Revelation 21:5). The fruit of our development and deliverance may appear differently from one season to the next. Despite it all, our Savior continually elevates us into other realms of His glory and experiences of His manifest Presence (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Speak the truth to encourage personal development

We assert godly authority when we change our internal dialogue to align with the Father’s original design. Speaking His Truth establishes us in triumph when we commit to saying what He says about us, by faith, not necessarily our feelings. When we do, angels hear and follow the Voice of God’s Word to bring into full fruition what we declare (Psalms 103:20).

It isn’t a mystery or a magic trick, it is the manifestation of our Father’s will being established in the earth. God can do anything, but it is in a partnership that the Holy Spirit operates through us to accomplish what we couldn’t on our own (Philippians 4:13).

Surrender control

Jesus didn’t guarantee perfect days, but His Word makes it clear that we can encounter perfect peace. When we consistently redirect an anxious mindset to rest in Him, we have cause to celebrate.

Make no mistake, the Bible doesn’t say to give thanks for every circumstance, but rather in it (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Gratitude boosts joy, and it arms our minds and hearts with peace over the anxiety that otherwise afflicts our souls with fear, worry, and stress (Colossians 3:15-17).

Although we cannot control all that happens to or around us, being intentionally and specifically grateful alters how we perceive and respond to the greatest of these challenges. Our willingness to surrender not only enhances our relationship with Jesus but also radiates His life to others who encounter us.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3, ESV

Savor small beginnings

Savoring the small moments characterizes our lives with more delight and less drudgery when we decide to live with intentional joy, despite what we see. Anxiety surfaces through the tension between what we had envisioned and what we currently experience. Despite this, we are created and commanded to worship and trust Him. Though we cannot see it yet, He employs our small beginnings to bring us to an expected end (Zechariah 4:10; Jeremiah 29:11).

When we embrace the entirety of our personal and spiritual development journey, we welcome the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself in us and through the circumstances that have triggered an anxious response.

Next steps in personal development

While society may be overly concerned with the big wins in mountaintop moments, character and true heart are revealed with the Holy Spirit in the secret place of the soul. In small moments, lacking audience and applause, the Holy Spirit proves and unveils what’s inside that pleases Him as well as what needs to be uprooted and changed.

Don’t underestimate your life; your spiritual and personal development testify of the Great God who is bringing about your good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

As you navigate the tension between where you are and want to be, select a counselor on this site for additional support. Schedule a meeting, so you can be free from anxiety’s hold, embrace the beauty and blessing of the small beginning, and experience an end that exceeds all you could ask, think, or imagine with God (Ephesians 3:20).