Dealing With Anxiety
In Matthew 6:26 Jesus tells his disciples, “…do not worry about your life.” This isn’t friendly advice. It’s a command. In Luke 21:34 Jesus warns these same disciples about the consequences of being unprepared for his return at the end of the age. He cautions them, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.”
No believer wants to be caught flat-footed at Christ’s coming! We all know it wouldn’t be good for Jesus to find us carousing—that is living a careless party-focused life—when he comes again. In the same way, no professing Christian wants to give account for a life marked by drunkenness or addiction. These things are obvious. But did you notice the third sinful lifestyle Jesus warns against? Not only must we take care to ensure our lives are not “weighed down” by carousing or drunkenness—we must take care to ensure our lives are not weighed down by the anxieties of life! We must guard against the sin of worry!
When you think about being ready for Christ’s coming, how often does gaining victory over worry enter your mind? Carousing? Yes. Drunkenness? Of course. Sexual immorality? No Christian would deny the importance of dealing with that. But worry? It’s probably not at the top of your “sin list.” But there it is! Jesus says that when he comes again, he doesn’t want to find us being weighed down by the “anxieties of life”! And that only makes sense. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Since worry and faith are mutually exclusive, it’s no wonder Jesus demands that worry be set aside. But overcoming worry is no easy task. In fact, in our own strength, it’s an impossible calling. In this world there’s simply too much to worry about—broken relationships, health, job security, bills to pay, children late coming home, rising crime, government scandals, the economy, and more!
So how do we do it? How do we go about “casting all our anxieties” on God (1 Peter 5:7)? We find our answer in Philippians 4:6-7. We properly deal with our anxieties by looking to God. In the strength of his Spirit, we conquer worry with prayer. Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (NIV).
How do we overcome worry? We make a habit of telling our concerns to God in prayer. Do you believe that God doesn’t want you to carry your own burdens? Do you believe that God wants to carry those burdens for you? Do you know why 1 Peter 5:7 instructs us to cast our anxieties on God? Answer: “…Because he cares for you.” Do you believe that? I mean, do you REALLY believe that God cares for you—that he’s involved in the details of your life? If not, you’ll probably find yourself worrying more than praying.
But Philippians 4:6-7, Paul not only tells us that we ought to pray when we’re anxious. Paul tells us how to pray when we’re anxious. First, we should pray expansively. We should pray about “anything” and “everything” that concerns us! If we are anxious, nothing is too big. Nothing is too small. Second, we should pray specifically. We should ask God to intervene as he sees fit by making specific requests concerning our circumstances. And finally, instead of worrying, we must pray about our concerns with thanksgiving. While we cannot thank God for every circumstance in our life, we can always thank him for his sovereignty and his promise to “work all things together for our good” (Romans 8:28-29). More than that, we can thank God for the privilege of prayer itself! Dare we take for granted the invitation God extends to live in relationship with him and to bring our every concern to him—and to know that he hears us?
In a world full of injustice, sin, and the consequences of our own failures, our path to the peace that “surpasses all understanding” is prayer. For biblical examples of the power of this kind of praying see Daniel 9:1-19; Nehemiah 1:4-11; and Acts 4:23-31.