How to Overcome Your Anxiety-Filled Life with “Just One Thing”

My wife and I used to thrive off our to-do lists. We were both goal-focused, production-driven achievers. I found success in school and sports. She discovered identity by getting good grades and being the super responsible oldest child. We lived a busy, breathless, often anxious lifestyle and taught our kids to do the same. And believe it or not, it worked. Until it didn’t!

Our marriage suffered. I needed two emergency heart surgeries. My wife was depressed and angry at God. Our children all developed issues with anxiety. Go figure.

I would like to say that we immediately figured out how to have more balance in our lives and left the “old ways” behind. Unfortunately, it has taken years, or rather decades, to discover a secret that has allowed us to begin to live differently.

The secret has been in shifting our daily agenda from way too many things to “just one thing.” That’s right! One thing per day. That’s it.

We were unconsciously proud that we could do it all and outwork other people. In a culture obsessed more with doing than being, our overachieving seemed like a good thing. Saying no or recognizing that we might be overcommitted and exhausted was like admitting we were quitters or lazy.

Our younger selves would begin most days with a run, a quick shower, followed by the daily review of our 10-20 item list of tasks that we wanted to accomplish. A good day was defined as one where half of the list could be crossed out. Of course, the list never actually shrank. New items would just replace those eliminated.

Rest and recreation were generally viewed as a reward that we could enjoy when we finally put all things in order – the pot at the end of the rainbow. Of course, you never actually get to the end of that proverbial rainbow because it is always a moving target. We were caught in a crazy trap, and nothing in our culture showed us a way out.

Fortunately though, ancient wisdom from the Bible did.

“But one thing I do…”

In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul writes:

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-13, NIV

These verses are packed with powerful passion and wisdom, but I want to start with the interesting phrase, “But one thing I do.”

Paul was a busy man. He continually moved from town to town preaching the gospel, planting churches, and discipling leaders. In his spare time, he wrote much of the New Testament. Yet despite all of this responsibility and activity, Paul claims the focus of his life to be “only one thing.”

Yes, he uses multiple verbs like forgetting, straining, and pressing to clarify what he is doing, but for Paul, it all fell under the umbrella of “one thing.” A few chapters earlier in the same letter, he sums up his life this way, “For me, to live is Christ.” (Philippians 1:21, NIV). This was Paul’s one holy and consuming passion.

Yes, he ended up doing many things, but it all flowed from his single pursuit of following Christ. I believe that this should not just be the job description for Paul the apostle, but for all of us who call ourselves Christians. When Jesus called his disciples, He didn’t give them a long to-do list or even remind them to follow the Ten Commandments. His call was simple and singular: “Follow Me.”

And as they followed, He continued to instruct them in the ways of His kingdom. In the Sermon on the Mount, He challenged them not to worry about food, clothing, and the trouble that might await them tomorrow. Rather, He told them to make sure to put one and only one thing at the top of their list: His Kingdom

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things (the needs and concerns that we often stress about) will be taken care of.” – Matthew 6:33, NIV

Imagine what would happen if we began to put this into practice and started each day with just one thing on the agenda?

We might use different ways to frame that one thing:

Following Him.

Seeking first His kingdom.

Living for Christ.

Waiting on God.

Taking hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.

The idea remains the same.

Put God at the center of your life and let Him lead you through the day, trusting that He will provide what you need and direct you along the way.

Let’s get practical: How can I do “just one thing”?

I suppose this idea of “putting God first every day” could be done many different ways, but I want to outline an approach that my wife and I have been doing for a while that seems to be working.

Be still

Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10, NIV

For many years, I have cultivated the habit of starting most mornings with prayer. For a long time, that meant asking God to help me with the many concerns rattling around my brain. This wasn’t a bad thing. It was an attempt to “Seek first his kingdom.”

Now I am choosing to stop the internal madness of yesterday and the anxious anticipation of today and…pause… breathe…sigh…let go.

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus taught his disciples to start their prayer with “Our Father who is in Heaven.” It reminds us that despite all of the chaos and pain in the world, God is still on the throne. He isn’t stressed out.

Theologian and author Jerry Sittser begins each day with this simple but profound prayer, “You are God, and I am not.” Oh, how I need to remind myself of this!

Jesus also said:

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” – Matthew 11:28, NIV

The older I get, the more I realize how easily I get weary and overwhelmed. My body may have just gotten eight hours of sleep, but I still need rest for my soul.

When I was fourteen, I ran the 2-mile in the national age group championships. It was the biggest race of my life, and needless to say, I was quite nervous. A few hours before the race, I opened up my Bible to find some inspiration. I really did not know where to look, so I just randomly flipped it open, and right there on the page before me was this verse:

They that wait upon the lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31, Living Bible

As you might imagine, I was quite inspired! God had clearly spoken to me! It was an experience that I will never forget. It didn’t hurt that I ran a time in the race that evening that I would not better for three years. The truth of that verse, though, has far deeper application than a race on a track. The secret to new strength is waiting on the Lord

I practice waiting on the Lord by being still. God promises that if we choose to do this, he will refresh our souls. We will be able to rise up out of our weariness and run, perhaps even fly!

Worship

The next phrase from the Lord’s prayer is “hallowed be your name.” We were created to worship. Therefore, I need to daily shift my focus from all that is wrong (or could go wrong) in my life to God’s love, His creation, and all that is good in my life.

I usually take a shower in the morning to start the day with a clean body. But I also need to let God cleanse my mind and heart from the accumulated crud of yesterday.

The psalmist says, “Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

A beloved pastor from years ago often reminded us that we continually need to recalibrate. My focus, perceptions, and values tend to get so easily skewed by the world around me that I need to daily refresh my operating system.

Word

The Lord’s prayer then shifts to asking for “Thy Kingdom (to) come.”

I am particularly in need of his kingdom to rule in my life. For that to happen, I need to know the ways of his kingdom and have my mind transformed by his Word. As Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Paul instructs us to take our anxieties and give them to God in prayer, but then to fill our minds with, “Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely…think of these things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV). Coming back to his Word every day helps me to fix my mind on these eternal truths.

To do this, I like to take a small section of scripture and meditate on it. Sometimes, that means journaling. Other times, I try to memorize it. Often, it means discussing with my wife what she and I are learning and wanting to apply.

The big idea is not to gain knowledge, but to shift my thinking. I want to change my values, my perspective, my heart – to align them with Christ. I want his kingdom to begin to take rule in my kingdom.”

“Here am I, send me”

I love this quote from the prophet Isaiah in response to God’s question of “Whom will I send?” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV) At this point, Isaiah doesn’t know exactly what he will do or how he will do it, but only that he is willing.

The Lord’s prayer continues, “Your will be done on earth.” (Matthew 9:10, NIV). This is where I finally give attention to the plans of the day. But what has shifted greatly from my old “to-do-list” days is my posture.

The old me had firmly held goals and rigid plans and a “don’t dare get in my way posture.” The new me wants to be on “his mission,” and so I hold my plans loosely. The new me is much more willing to be interrupted or adjust my expectations.

This is a time when I have my spiritual ears wide open, listening to any leading of the Spirit. Many times, I will get someone on my heart to pray for, perhaps an idea of some action that might help them. I am not so spiritual that I always know if it is the Lord, but I try to be faithful to the leading anyway, and often have it confirmed by those I reach out to.

How long will this take?

Keep in mind that the grand purpose is to set, or rather reset, your heart. I can do that to some degree in five minutes. More time can produce a greater effect. Some days, I only have time for one piece of the process, perhaps “being still” for a few minutes is all that I can do. Other times, my wife and I can afford several hours, journaling and discussing scripture, praying over our day.

Certainly, those with full-time jobs and young children may practice an abbreviated version of this method, but I believe that the Lord will bless whatever time you can give.

What will happen if you try this?

After trying this new approach to daily life for a while, I continue to be amazed at the way it has been changing me. I find that I often wake up with something like an “anxiety hangover” from the day before. As soon as my eyes open from a night of sleep, my brain begins to churn over the difficulties of yesterday as well as anticipate the various issues in front of me. I begin to feel sad, inadequate, or anxious before the day has even begun.

Then, with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in hand, I enter my time of devotion.

• I choose to be still before a loving God who reigns supreme, yet draws near.
• I move toward worship and gaze on his beauty and goodness.
• I meditate on the Word of Life.

And then – more often than not – my soul is free. My mind gets clear. My heart feels light and full. Hope replaces despair. Compassion rises over judgment. Motivation chases out discouragement.

This internal transformation may not happen every morning, but I often go to bed looking forward to waking up and moving into this sacred space again. It is becoming my favorite time of the day. A refuge in the storm. No matter what happens today, I know I can enter a time of peace again tomorrow.

A Work In Progress

I must insert a disclaimer here. Even as I write this, I am aware of how often I fail to patiently seek, truly listen, or fully follow the instructions of the Lord on a daily basis. Lest the reader think that I have arrived and walk in grace and love every moment of every day, they should know the truth.

There are some days that I am mostly walking in his ways. Yet, on many others, I am back to my old paths of self-centered, anxiety-filled living. At best, I am two steps forward, then one back. I need to remind myself that I am still on the road of transformation. I am not stuck in who I was.

You may be further along than I am, or you may be just getting started. But this path of following Jesus day by day is the best, because He is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

A Final “Word”

I want to close this article with another scripture. Many illustrate this call to turn and seek God as a first step for every day. But I decided to use the verse that my wife and I happened to meditate on this morning. It describes this practice as well as any.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation…I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence I will bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies – make straight your way before me. – Psalm 5:1-3, 7-8, NIV