Ask yourself, “Do I currently have a problem?”
If the answer is, “No”, then don’t worry.
If the answer is, “Yes”, then ask yourself, “Can I do something about the problem?”
If that answer is, “Yes”, then don’t worry.
If that answer is, “No”, then don’t worry.
Maybe it’s not always that simple. Thankfully, the Bible gives us assurances about how to deal with the temptation to worry and in dealing with anxiety that can feel overwhelming at times.
Matthew 6:25-34, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will 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, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We see here the charge to, “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” When God is in His rightful place of primary allegiance in your life, when you fully entrust yourself to Him, then “all these things will be added to you as well”. What are all these things? “These things” are the basic needs of life that are talked about in the passage; food, drink, clothing, etc. In other words, God promises that as you seek Him first, He’ll take care of your necessities. That may not be all that you are tempted to worry about, but what has worrying ever provided for you? Of course, nothing. It’s a sin, don’t do it. The Lord Jesus is capable of meeting all your needs, and He delights in doing so when we seek Him first!
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The key to overcoming anxiety is to redirect your mind; choose to think about things that you can be thankful for. Doing this recalibrates your heart away from things you can’t control and it reminds you of the things the Lord has done, and how much He loves you. Choose to refocus your mind on the Lord above, and chose to pray instead of stressing. Choose to bring requests to the Lord and then leave them there instead of carrying them.
Stand on Truth
After Jesus had been crucified and buried, His disciples were terrified; their leader was now in the grave, and they feared they’d be next. What should they do? Fear kept them from reflecting on Jesus’s promises. They weren’t anticipating a resurrection. No, instead, they were locked behind closed doors, huddled together in worry of the Jews seeking to take them out. It was now Sunday night. Jesus had been dead since Friday. Two nights of sleepless fear had gripped the disciples and a third night was quickly approaching. This is where John writes the following.
John 20:19-20, “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you. And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” Luke’s gospel records more of the conversation that Jesus had here with the disciples. “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem,” Luke 24:44-47.
Jesus came to them in their fear. He didn’t leave them in that condition for long, but met them and provided assurance; showing them convincing proofs of His scars. He then directed them back to His words, as they needed a reminder of God’s good plan and purposes. God then “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” This means that the by the influence of Jesus, He would cause them to remember and apply what they had previously studied in the Scriptures, and to comprehend what Jesus had reiterated to them before His death. In the same way, you and I can have our minds opened by the Holy Spirit to understand the Scriptures, “Open my eyes that I can see the beautiful things in Your law,” Psalm 119:18.
Jesus pointed them back to the Word of God. Likewise, as we choose to ground ourselves in God’s Word we can stand firm on truth and reject the untruth that creates the worry and anxiety which can grip us. Instead of filling our head with “what if” scenarios, we ought to occupy our thoughts with the assurances of God’s Word.
God is good.
God is in control.
God loves you.
God can be trusted.
I can have a secure future in Christ Jesus.
I can choose rest in Him.
Resting daily in God’s Word doesn’t mean that our life will be devoid of conflict. Thankfully, there are two kinds of peace. The first kind of peace is the absence of conflict. Sadly, life has too little of this. Fortunately, though, there’s the second kind of peace. This is the inner tranquility that is administered to believers by the Holy Spirit to sustain them through conflict. This is the kind of peace we can have as we yield to the Lord when troubles arise!
Let’s look at one more example in the Bible of overcoming worry and anxiety. In both Matthew 14 and John 6 we see the story of Jesus walking on water. Matthew’s account features the famous details of Peter walking out on the water to Jesus, while John’s account leaves that portion out. In any case, the summary of the story is that the disciples were out in a boat late at night trying to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not with them at the time, as He had sent them on ahead of Him. As they grew tired from the rowing, the winds and waves picked up and made the situation worse. Matthew’s gospel tells us that it was early morning, between 3am and 6am, “the fourth watch of the night,” (Matthew 14:25) when Jesus came walking upon the water towards them. “When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear,” Matthew 14:26.
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid,” Matthew 14:27. After the details of Peter’s attempt to walk on the water himself, eventually Peter and Jesus stepped into the boat. “When they got into the boat, the wind stopped,” (Matthew 14:32), and not only did the wind stop, but “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going,” John 6:21. Jesus walking on water, calming the wind, and instantaneously bringing the boat safely to the shore, demonstrates Jesus is the solution to our fear, anxiety, and worry. Jesus reminds us that amidst life’s chaos, we can trust His sovereignty over our circumstances. Jesus is the One who brings peace and calmness. Amen!