Are You Taking Control of You? On Media, Anxiety, and Replacing "Love" With Your Own Name

Originally published May 31, 2024. Brought home to Substack as part of the It’s Bizzy archive.

Are you taking control of you?

We are all listening, watching, and scrolling—but what is it actually doing for you? I know for me, all it did was cause anxiety. There is so much going on in the world right now, but honestly, when wasn’t there? If you recall, when Jesus came to bring peace, life was even more barbaric than it is today!

Do we really think that by sharing our opinions and talking in circles anything is going to change? I don’t think so. As Americans, we are blessed with the right to vote. I personally believe in Voter ID—I mean, you can’t even take a book out of the library without an ID, so why should the ballot box be any different? But as they say, C’est la vie!

As human beings, we must regulate what we put into our bodies. I’m not just talking about food or drink. We need to regulate what we ingest with our eyes and ears, and be mindful of what comes out of our mouths. God gave us brains to choose what is good or bad for our minds to take in.

The media wants us to react. It’s designed to evoke anxiety and fear. When we sit in our comfortable homes and constantly watch frightening news from across the globe, we feel out of control because, frankly, we are out of control of those events. But we can control our intake.

God has a plan. The question is: Can you trust it?

I’ll be honest—I find it very hard to trust at times because of my own life journey. People I should have been able to rely on let me down time and time again, leaving me feeling lost. This is why the program of Alcoholics Anonymous talks so much about finding a Higher Power.

I am so grateful I was raised Catholic. When I was young, I hated being made to go to church, but it gave me a foundation. I was introduced to God so early that I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know Him. Even so, when I was first asked if I could truly rely on God for everything, I had to take a pause. It took being let down by humans to finally surrender to the fact that God is everything. One of my favorite verses is “Faith without works is dead.” We all need faith, even when it’s the hardest place to go.

This morning, I was listening to the Pray 40 on Hallow with Chris Pratt and Mark Wahlberg. Chris said something that stopped me in my tracks. He asked: What if you replaced the word “Love” in 1 Corinthians 13:4 with your own name?

For me, it sounds like this:

Elizabeth is patient; Elizabeth is kind; Elizabeth is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.

Elizabeth does not insist on her own way; Elizabeth is not irritable or resentful; Elizabeth does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

Elizabeth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I am repeating this to myself today, hoping it takes root. It is time to let go and trust. No one else is going to change us—it is up to us to change ourselves.

Remember, you are never alone. Have a fantastic weekend, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sending big hugs and love to you today.

XO,

Elizabeth “Bizzy” Chance