‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
‘And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ‘ Romans 8:28 (NLT)
‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.’ Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
The surgery you are preparing for is a remarkable advancement of modern medicine that will provide you a restoration of something lost. Whether that loss is sleep, playing a musical instrument, dancing, or wrestling with your grandkids, surgery is a powerful tool to take that which is physically broken and bring it to health, giving you back what was lost.
But the truth is the physical restoration that your surgery can provide is only temporary. Our bodies will eventually fail us again. So, as you calm your anxiety in preparation for your surgery, take time to shift your mind from the temporary physical to the eternal spiritual.
For the temporary physical restoration surgery provides is merely a reflection of the eternal spiritual restoration God offers us through the blood and grace of His son Jesus. When we choose to follow Jesus, God takes us at our weakest and most broken spiritual state and restores us to Him for eternity, just as surgery does for us here on Earth. This spiritual restoration is built to last and will never run out.
And it is in this assurance of eternal life through Jesus that we can find a peace that surpasses all understanding. Keeping our minds fixed on this truth is our key to overcoming anxiety preoperatively. For we know that no matter the outcome, God is in control and in all things, He works together for our good. He has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-discipline. He has called us to lean not on our own understanding but to trust Him with all our heart. And in the end, it is He who will guard our hearts and minds and give us the strength to overcome anxiety as we step into physical restoration through surgery.
from Restoring Life: Anxiety