I ended yesterday's devotion by encouraging you to look to see which disguise your anxiety was wearing. This requires openness to God's redirection and correction.

Think back to Martha's complaint about it not being fair that she was doing everything while Mary sat and listened. While we aren't told how Martha responded to Jesus' response that she was anxious and troubled, we can assert that she had to be open to his redirection and correction. The same is true for you and me. If we're going to discern what's distracting us - and why, we'll need to be open.

Being open looks like having a humble heart that listens even when you disagree. Being open looks like trying another way of thinking even though you're madly in love with your current thoughts. It's worth noting that You can only accept (hear & receive) correction if you're humble and wise (Proverbs 9:7-9).

When we discern what's distracting us and disguising our anxiety, it can feel like something we need is being taken from us. In actuality, if we are distracted by it, we don't have it -- it has us. Discerning what's distracting us, then addressing it, is the pathway to freedom. Otherwise, we're simply being used. (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Ask God for his wisdom and light so you can see what's distracting you (Psalm 119:130). Until you discover it, anxiety will have the opportunity to run free undetected in your life.

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Prayer

Grant me the humility to be open to Your correction and redirection. May I recognize that genuine freedom arises when I discern and confront distractions. Shine your light in my heart, Lord, so anxiety finds no hiding place. Amen.

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Reflection

1. Reflect on a recent moment when you felt anxious. Can you identify the disguise it was wearing, and are you open to God's redirection and correction in that situation? '

2. How do you respond to correction in moments of stress or frustration? Are you open to alternative perspectives and ways of thinking, even when deeply attached to your current thoughts?

3. Reflect on the idea that if a distraction has a hold on you, you don't truly possess it. How can discerning and addressing these distractions lead you on the path to freedom?

Watch: Anxiety in Disguise

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