“Fanticipation”
Fanticipation [fan-tis-uh-pey-shuhn] - [Noun] a feeling of fear while thinking of a future event.
Okay, so I made up a word by squishing two words together...fear and anticipation. If you are an anxious person, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.
The dreaded norovirus recently made its way through our family, dropping us mercilessly one by one. I’ll take a cold any day over feeling nauseous. When I start feeling that way, I fight it! I toss and turn and take shallow breaths, all because I fear what is coming.
But most times, the things that I “fanticipate” the most don’t seem so bad once I’ve gone through them. My brain tells me to avoid the situation at all costs, and that it will be devastating to endure. And sometimes I let my thoughts get the best of me. They control my life and don’t bring the peace for which I yearn.
There is a plaque on our mantel that reads, “Don’t believe everything you think.” Sometimes we have thoughts that repeat themselves over and over, and we never stop to think, “Is this thought true?” Is this thought from God or somewhere else?”
At the end of Matthew 6, Jesus addresses the problem of worry. He says that worrying about things won’t change them, and it definitely won’t extend your lifespan! He ends the lesson by saying, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:33-34)
The first thing we can do is seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness. We can stop worrying about our own kingdoms and the things we think we are building here on earth. We can stop measuring our righteousness against other people and just worry about how to be right before God.
And then Jesus says to stay in the moment...don’t worry about tomorrow and beyond. If you obsess about what could be, you’ll miss all the blessings of this moment.
So, what are you “fanticipating?” Making a new friend? Volunteering for a ministry? Having a difficult conversation? Take heart from the teachings of our Master and remember...it probably won’t be as bad as your thoughts are making it out to be.
Blessings,
Franklin
