Most people think I’m an optimist because I’m loud, outgoing and generally friendly. But because I live with me, I know the truth… I’m an optimist who deeply wrestles and struggles with fear, anxiety and “worse case scenario” thinking.
When Anxiety Keeps You From Living
One of the national trends sweeping our country today and causing systemic and societal breakdown is the issue of anxiety and fear [1]. For me, this surfaces in many ways, but the general way it causes problems is actually quite simple; I tend to focus on how hard something will be (or how “undoable” something is) before I ever engage in trying to solve the problem.
Case in point; this past weekend, I finally did something that I knew was going to be hard and actually quite terrible; painting my 2,500 square foot two-story house. I had delayed this project for over 12 months because I wanted it to “just go away.”
The problem is that I kept waking up and the paint kept chipping off of the siding. I hit the critical moment this year and it was either embrace the pain of painting the house, or embrace the pain of residing the house. There was no way around it… something had to give.
Finding Hope in Facing Your Fears
But listen, here’s where it gets good! Once I engaged in the process of pressure washing, scraping, priming, masking and finally painting, something incredible happened.
The job got done and I didn’t die.
Not only did I come out alive, but I actually had a ton of fun along the way. Friends jumped in to support me, we met some new people and in the end found that we were actually stronger than we knew and painting was not “too hard.”
I’ve wondered many times this past weekend, as I had time to think on the roof with my paint brush, how many people are living in “decrepit lives” that need serious maintenance but the fear of starting the process has them handcuffed. Whether it be substance abuse, sex addiction, eating disorders, or anything else that keeps them from living the full life that they deserve.
Friends, I encourage you to take the first step today. Start the process, get back in the game and fight for your freedom. You’ll be shocked how much power you possess and simultaneously how little power your addiction holds. Get up, get moving and watch yourself become changed!
About the Author:
Ryan Moffat is the teaching pastor at Vast Church in Sisters, OR and is currently working on his Masters in Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, OR
Ryan received his BS in Bible and Theology and a minor in counseling from Multnomah University. He has pastored students, families and is passionate about Christ-centered recovery and healing. He’s been married to his beautiful wife Michelle for 13 years and they enjoy raising four crazy, unique and special kids together.
References:
[1]: https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of addictions. These are not necessarily the views of Addiction Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Addiction Hope understand that addictions result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published on June 23, 2017.
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on May 31, 2017
Published on AddictionHope.com