Catalyst Track: Elephant Off My Chest // Day Three

This week’s 3-day track comes from Max Lucado, Senior Minister at Oaks Hill Church in San Antonio Texas. Max has been deemed “The Best Preacher in America” by Readers Digest and is a best-selling Christian author with over 100 published books. This September, Max released his 34th trade book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World.

Have you ever felt like there was an elephant sitting right in the center of your chest? That no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t catch your breath? If so, you are not alone. A native Hawaiian once told me the origin of the name that Islanders use for us non-Hawaiians—haole. Haole is a Hawaiian word for “no breath.” The name became associated with the European immigrants of the 1820s. While there are varying explanations for this term, I like the one he gave me: “Our forefathers thought the settlers were always in a hurry to build plantations, harbors, and ranches. To the native Hawaiians they seemed short of breath.”

In this 3-day track, Max challenges us to free ourselves from the anxiety that holds us back. He explains that through God’s healing we can overcome these barriers and live more freely.

Whether it’s a pep talk or even a deeper form of healing, take the next few days to recognize ways in which you can free yourself from anxieties.

DAY 3: Getting the Elephant off Your Chest

In my new book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, I talk about how to sleep better tonight and smile more tomorrow by embracing the principles of Philippians 4. With God’s help, these truths will help you reframe the way you face your fears. You’ll learn how to talk yourself off the ledge, view bad news through the lens of sovereignty, discern the lies of Satan, and tell yourself the truth. You will discover a life that is characterized by calm and will develop tools for facing the onslaughts of anxiety.

It will require some work on your part. I certainly don’t mean to leave the impression that anxiety can be waved away with a simple pep talk. In fact, for some of you God’s healing will include the help of therapy and/or medication. If that is the case, do not for a moment think that you are a second-class citizen of heaven. Ask God to lead you to a qualified counselor or physician who will provide the treatment you need.

This much is sure: It is not God’s will that you lead a life of perpetual anxiety. It is not his will that you face every day with dread and trepidation. He made you for more than a life of breath-stealing angst and mind-splitting worry. He has a new chapter for your life. And he is ready to write it!

CHALLENGE:

Take some time this week to seek God’s healing so that you can become free from the anxiety that is weighing on your chest.