Are you feeling worried or anxious about things happening in
the world or in your life? Do you get stressed by events or find yourself
losing sleep thinking about the “what if's" of the future? If so, you're in
good company. As a physician, I can tell you that the majority of doctor visits
are, in fact, related to stress and anxiety. And statistics indicate that the
incidence of anxiety, worry, and even depression are increasing in the
population as a whole.
Why is this? What does the Bible have to say about this?
Well, actually, the Bible has a lot to say about it. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus speaks directly to the issues of
anxiety.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your
life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as
to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not worth much more than they?”
In this passage, Jesus gives us reassurance regarding food
and clothing. He reminds us that we are more valuable than either the food we
put in our body or the clothing which we use to cover it. He reminds us that
God cares for even the birds of the air, and, since we are more important than
they are, we can trust that he will provide for us as well.
Jesus continues,“And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit
to his life’s span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies
of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that
even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if
God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little
faith?”
Here Jesus presents another illustration of how God cares
for his simpler creations. He reminds us, once again, that we are much more
important to God than the lilies of the field or the grass that grows beneath
our feet. Since he lavishes such care and attention upon them, we can be
assured that he places even greater energy and attention toward us. And his
mentioning of the short lifespan of grass is intended to, by contrast, remind
us that we will live forever in Him. Moreover, he tells us bluntly that being anxious is a waste
of time, since doing so cannot add a single cubic to one's lifespan.
The end of verse 30, “O men of little faith”, hints as to
the remedy for our anxiety: faith in God.
Next Jesus says: Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these
things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for
tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
With these words he reassures us that God is aware of all of
our needs. And, as our Heavenly Father, he will provide for us, even has he
does for those “Gentiles" who have no regard for him. And this is the
formula which he provides for us: first seek him and his will, rather than
fretting about your own needs as the world does, and he will make sure that you
have all that you require in which to accomplish his will and bring him glory.
And Paul reinforces this in Philippians 4:19 where he
states:“My God shall supply
all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
An important warning must be inserted here: this is not
“Prosperity Gospel.”
Jesus is not stating that if we follow God we will get all
we desire. Rather, he's stating that God will supply our needs. We must trust
in God's wisdom and have faith in his goodness and be secure in the knowledge
that he knows far better than we do what is best for us. God's greatest
priority is his kingdom and his glory and when we partake in that we are
blessed greatly. And the Scriptures remind us frequently that following Jesus
is not easy and we will suffer many hardships in his name.
Mathew 6:34 has tremendous practicality and an awareness of
this reality: we have enough to be concerned about each day without needing to
borrow trouble from tomorrow. Simply
stated: focus on today’s problems today.
So, we are instructed not to worry, but, being human, we do
so anyway. So what do we do with our anxiety when we have it?
Psalm 56:3 says, “When
I am afraid, I put my trust in thee.” The psalmist does not state that we
should never be afraid, but rather when we do have fears, we should place our
trust in God.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast
all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.” We are again instructed
to lay our worries before our Lord and trust in him.
Paul speaks of anxiety in Philippians 4:6. “Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God. And
the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As children of God, we can go directly to him with our
worries and concerns. Our trust in him should be such that we are able to give
thanks to him for everything, even before we have received a response to our
prayers. The reward of such trust is that God will grant us his peace. This is
not the peace of the world which is dependent upon conditions, but is the peace
of God which transcends all situations.
Paul continues: Finally, brethren,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and
if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the
God of peace will be with you.”
And in Isaiah 41:10 we read, "Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will
strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with my victorious right
hand.”
In these passages we learn that God is always with us,
strengthening us and helping us, reducing our fear and replacing it with his
peace. However, Paul's statement is both
an encouragement and a warning: he encourages us to follow God's will and
always do what is right as a condition for receiving God's peace. The
implication being that God is free to leave us to our own worries and anxieties
if we choose to do things our own way.
Yet, even when he gives us our own way and we seem to mess
things up, we are assured that He is in control, and that good will ultimately
come of it.
As Paul writes in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
So, what then can we say of anxiety? What is the cause?
We might be tempted to say that the trials of life are what
cause our stress and worry, but, ultimately, it is our own desire to control
circumstances around us and to dictate their outcomes that leads to our
anxieties.
The remedy given in Scripture is clear: trust in God and
give him control (He is, after all, the one ultimately in control anyway.)
The challenge for us is in trusting and releasing control.
Before we can release control to anyone, even God, we must
trust him. Before we can trust anyone, even God, we must get to know him well. The
better we know God, the stronger our trust in Him will be, and the easier it
will be for us to release our own control over to Him.
So…
Follow Paul's instructions in Philippians 4:6-8.
- pray with
Thanksgiving to God
- center your mind
upon good and virtuous things
- practice what you
have learned to be pleasing to God
Finally, or perhaps initially, read the word of God. Spend
time regularly in the Scriptures to reinforce your knowledge of truth, virtue,
and goodness. Strengthen your understanding of God's grace and mercy and sovereignty.
Familiarize yourself with the kindness, love, and gentleness of Christ.
When we are closer to Christ, we are at peace and anxiety
has no place in us.
