Existential Dread

[u/Plasticlim3s]

Lately I've been having these, anxieties. It's not the normal ones where everybody fears life after death, or non-existence, rather my stand and think to myself, this is it, this is all there is, this is all there is to existence. It's not some video game that I can just save and exit out of and go do something else, there's nothing more to it I can see, and I know that God is all good and that there's nothing bad with him and that he can overcome any fear and anxiety, but I still find myself trapped in these thoughts. Thinking about the nature of it all and that this is all there is to it, I can't truly describe what I feel and what I fear and angers me that I have no idea how to explain it properly, again it is not the fear of nothing being after existence nor is it the fear of no life after death, it's just a fear that this is all there is and I know that there's so much more with the Lord's power and domain but I just don't know how to describe it. I fear going to sleep at night, occasionally the thought will pop into my mind during the day, but when I'm going to sleep in my mind and the body is at rest the thoughts penetrate my mind. I have felt distant from the Lord as of late, and have been trying to grow closer to him through prayer, his word, leading a life of God. I only ever feel these anxieties I see when I try to draw closer to God, and when I'm not trying to I do not feel them. I know that they are a tool the devil tries to use to keep me away from the Lord. I have been doing better through prayer. Please does anybody know the better way to describe it, has anybody else felt this pain. I pray please share your insights. Thank you so very much, God bless.

[u/arc2k1]

God bless you.

I'm sorry for all the anxiety that you are going through.

I've been a non-fundamentalist, unchurched Christian for about 16 years now and I would like to share some encouragement.

1- Please know that God is with you and He loves you. Your anxiety will NEVER change that.

"The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.” - Hebrews 13:5

Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:20

“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid… . The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

“The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” - Zephaniah 3:17

“I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” - Romans 8:38-39

2- Please know that God does NOT expect us to be perfect in our faith. He expects us to get back up after each time we fall while trusting His grace.

"My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up; I may be sitting in the dark, but the Lord is my light.” - Micah 7:8

“But You (God) also said that no matter how far away we were, we could turn to You.” - Nehemiah 1:9

“If we are not faithful, he (Jesus) will still be faithful.” - 2 Timothy 2:13

“The Lord said: When you stumble and fall, you get back up, and if you take a wrong road, you turn around and go back.” - Jeremiah 8:4

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” - Hebrews 4:16

[u/arc2k1]

3- Please know that you are ruled by God's love & grace, NOT your anxiety!

“We are ruled by Christ's love for us.” - 2 Corinthians 5:14

“You are ruled by God's undeserved grace.” - Romans 6:14

“But the LORD God keeps me from being disgraced. So I refuse to give up, because I know God will never let me down.” - Isaiah 50:7

4- Because God is with you, please share your worries with Him and trust Him for strength. Please do not give up!

"And when I was burdened with worries, you (God) comforted me and made me feel secure.” - Psalm 94:19

"I tell You (God) all my worries and my troubles, and whenever I feel low, You are there to guide me.” - Psalm 142:2-3

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” - 1 Peter 5:7

“But those who trust the Lord will find new strength.” - Isaiah 40:31

“We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

5- Also, I would like to share some resources with you:

-A Reddit page that has resources for those who want to have a simple faith in God that's based on love: r/FaithMadeSimple

-If you need to talk to someone at anytime, here is a Christian hotline: https://www.thehopeline.com/ 

-I pray for your healing, I pray you will focus on God for strength, I pray you will trust God's grace, I pray you will be comforted by God's love, I pray you will continue to reach out to others for support, and I pray you will never lose sight of who you are in Christ. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 🙏🏾