Anxiety

Are you feeling anxious? Do you know someone who is? Webster’s dictionary defines anxiousness as: “Extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency: worry about something future or unknown; painful suspense.”

If you are Christian, you probably already know the Bible tells us in several places that we are not to be anxious about anything (for example, Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount). And yet, avoiding anxiety is easier said than done; especially these days. What can we do about our anxiety? I don’t believe we can learn to not be anxious or worry; these come too naturally to us. The only way to overcome anxiety (a negative force) is to trust God more (a positive force).

But how do you do that? Here are a few biblical ways to deal with anxiety:

1. Pray – talk to God about whatever is making you anxious. In Philippians 4:6-7 Paul tells us to not worry about anything, but instead to “make your requests known to God” and then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In other words, pray about it.

2. Surrender – In First Peter 5:7, the apostle tells us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Some people find it helpful to consciously do this by some physical act such as touching the doorframe, or wiping their feet as they enter their home, leaving the worries they have encountered that day outside the home.

3. Simplify – In Luke 12:33 Jesus says we should store up treasure in heaven rather than on earth. Part of what makes us so anxious, at least here in America anyway, is all the stuff – all the “earthly treasures” that we are worried about either maintaining, or losing, or never receiving in the first place. Live simply and you’ll stress less, it’s as simple as that.

4. Trust God to take care of you – At its core, anxiety is about a lack of trust in God. Worry is our reaction to the enemy whispering “Are you sure God will take care of you? Are you sure he even can take care of you, or that he wants to?” Believe me friend, God is trustworthy; God can be trusted. Read Matthew 6:24-34. There Jesus tells us to look around and notice all the ways God provides for every living thing. God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the plants in the fields. Birds and plants don’t toil, or spin, or worry, and yet God takes care of them. Jesus’ point is that if relatively insignificant (compared to us) things like plants and birds are worthy of God’s care, how much more will God take care of us? You can trust God. God is in control. Nothing ever surprises God and nothing slips past Him. He won’t fall asleep or leave his post. God, and only God, can be counted on no matter what may come your way.