Dread to Determined
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“But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.” Psalm 14:5 NIV
She awoke and felt a heaviness in her chest. She did not want to get out of bed and face the day. She dreaded what she would have to face that day. How would she make it through? She wished the day was already completed, and she was back in bed. I heard her feelings of dread.
Dread is to anticipate with great apprehension or fear. It is another way of describing worry or anxiety. It is thinking so much about the future and what may happen that you lose yourself in the present. You focus only on the negative and the feelings of doom and gloom, and you have the desire to hide or escape from life.
We may dread doing the laundry, the dishes, or cleaning the garage or basement because we have let everything pile up and now it seems too overwhelming. We do not know where to begin. This is where the “one and done” concept comes into play. We complete one task or one part of it at a time. We do not fixate on the big picture, but just on one small task at a time.
We may dread seeing someone knowing the person will ask too many questions or that you will have to deal with the person’s attitude or anger. We have given the person control of how we interact, and the person controls our life and the situation. Dread enters because of the lack of boundaries or the acceptance that that is just who the person is. Dread is accentuated by the absorbing of the other person and thinking we need to fix life for the person.
We dread the day because it is not what we want it to be. We may want life to go back to the way it used to be so that everything can be normal again. Or we have made decisions that we now regret and dread facing our current reality and the consequences. We may dread doing what we made a commitment to and now wish we did not say “yes.”
We dread the bathroom scales, the event, the conversation, the consequences, and I could go on and on with examples, but I think you get the pictures. Dread is anticipating negativity and focusing on how we will accomplish it all with only our power, strength, and ability. It is future focusing and trying to figure out either how to avoid the situation or orchestrate what will happen. Dread is just exhausting.
So, how do you overcome and deal with dread? First, it is telling yourself and telling dread it is not in control of your thoughts and life. When you awake in the morning, talk first to God not to your anxious thoughts. Remind yourself and God that today you are doing everything with God. “God, we got this, mostly You.” Then take it one step at time. Do not get ahead of God. Keep yourself in the present moment.
I am determined to slow myself down to God’s pace not my anxious thoughts that are running out of control. I am determined to let go and let God have control of each thought and each situation. I am determined to not allow dread and negativity cloud my days. That is, I have decided to give control to God and fix my eyes on Jesus not the swirling uncertainty of my emotions and thoughts. I am determined that God is the center of my life, but I am aware that I will mess up at times, but I will not give up. I will resolve to refocus when I get off track, and I will keep reminding myself to stay in the present and that in each decision and thought God is present. I will hold God’s hand.
I am determined to be present with Jesus. Dread, you are not my friend. Jesus is my friend.
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