Sleep: The Ultimate Antidote to Worry and Anxiety
Discover How Trusting God Brings Peace in the Midst of Life’s Chaos
I do not like staying awake when I travel by public transport. You might have a different view but it's a personal decision.
When I sleep, I’m relieved of the anxiety that often accompanies road travel.
I don’t feel the bumps from potholes the driver failed to avoid.
I’m unaware of the trailer that nearly brushed past our bus.
I don't hear the shouting matches between agitated passengers and the reckless driver.
My blood pressure stays normal.
Instead, I wake up feeling fresh, only to alight at my destination, calm and composed.
I’m sharing this so that you might consider adopting my method.
If you really want to enjoy the journey—just sleep!
Trust the Driver.
We Die Too Many Times Before We Die
So many of us die several times before death actually comes.
We worry and panic about things beyond our control.
We anticipate evil, imagine worst-case scenarios, and beat ourselves up for nothing.
Each time I read the account of how Jesus slept through the storm in Mark 4:37-40, I often wonder: why were Jesus’ disciples panicking when the sea became stormy, even though Jesus was right there in the boat? If Jesus was sleeping in the storm, shouldn't they have done the same? Would the storm swallow them all, including Jesus?
The answer was simple: they didn’t trust the Driver. Jesus trusted His Driver, His Heavenly Father, so He slept peacefully in the storm.
Jonah Slept Too
We often criticize Jonah for sleeping during the storm. But maybe there's something we missed. Perhaps, we should take another look. While others panicked, Jonah was asleep. It seems to me that it wasn’t out of carelessness but out of confidence in the God who commands both sea and storm. He even told the sailors to throw him overboard. He was so sure of God’s sovereignty that he could surrender completely. And indeed, God sent another mode of transport: Whales Waterways.
Sometimes the Best Prayer Is Sleep
Shouting in prayer isn't always the solution.
Sometimes, sleep is the truest form of trust.
Some of our loudest prayers are fear-inspired, not faith-based.
Like the apostles, we cry out, not out of belief, but out of panic.
We forget the Driver is right beside us.
He already promised:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned...”
(Isaiah 43:2)
When Adam Slept, God Went to Work
Restlessness hinders God from working in our lives. An agitated mind cannot work or walk with God. No wonder God made Adam sleep before He created Eve. He wouldn’t have survived the pain of having a rib pulled out. But once asleep, God could work.
The same principle applies to us: if we stay restless and anxious, we may delay God's process. But when we rest, He works.
Even I Struggle Sometimes
Honestly, I don’t always sleep either. Sometimes, I worry. I become anxious.
I think it's part of growing up. When I was younger, I had fewer worries. But now? “Adulting” is hard.
Still, I’m learning to lean on the Everlasting Arms. I’m learning to cast my cares on Him because He cares for me. I’m beginning to believe that He cares for me more than I care for myself.
I’ve come to see:
His love is constant.
His wisdom is infinite.
His power is unshakable.
The Real Battle Is Over God's Goodness
The enemy keeps whispering:
“If God is good, why hasn’t your prayer been answered?
Why the delay?
Why the unmet needs?
Why the unfulfilled prophecies?”
His strategy is to distort your view of God.
He used it on Eve, and it worked.
So now, I’m learning to sleep.
To trust God’s wisdom, even in crisis.
Remember Joseph?
Every step Joseph took seemed to move him farther from his dream yet every step was taking him closer. Getting locked up in the prison of Egypt seems like a burial of his dreams and potential but He wasn’t being buried. He was being planted. And planted things grow again.
What About Job?
Job endured deep pain. But in the end, the Lord showed His purpose and goodness.
That Old Hymn Says It Best:
“What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.”
That’s what happens when we trust the Driver.
We experience peace that passes understanding.
So here’s my renewed resolution:
I will trust the Driver.
I will sleep.
I may not know what the future holds, but I know the Lord will be there.
That settles it.
This is the ultimate antidote to worry and anxiety: Sleep, and repose absolute confidence in the Driver of your life.
Shalom.
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Sometimes the intensity of a prolonged crisis can distort our perspective. Last year, for us, we had floods (Australia) and had to stay in a hotel for months. Each day we had to make decisions about something. It was stressful trying to anticipate the next move, the next decision. But we prayed a lot and got through it. It wasn't easy and it catalysed a move interstate. God has His plans. Thanks for your post!
This post resonated deeply with my soul, May God continue to bless the works of your hands. I trust the driver so I’ll choose rest over worry!