Quit That Anxiety Right Now Or So Help Me!

in #anxiety6 years ago

Let’s talk anxiety. It’s a topic close to my heart and mind. Not the kind of anxiety that occurs because you have an overabundance of cortisol and adrenaline. Not the anxiety that happens when you have too much caffeine and can’t stop jittering. I’ve talked about those anxieties before.

No, let’s talk about the anxiety that resides in your thoughts more than in your chemistry. This is the kind of anxiety that Jesus talks about here:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor aboutlife more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after allthan clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This is the kind of anxiety that lies to you about whether or not God is sovereign. Sometimes it occurs as a result of the physical anxiety, sometimes it’s the cause. Either way, it sucks.

But unlike physical and chemical issues, it’s a sin. Worrying about whether or not God will take care of you when He clearly promises He will is wrong.

God knows exactly what we need, when we need it. It’s rather presumptuous to tell God what you need like He doesn’t already know. Does this mean don’t pray about what you need? Not at all! We should be praying, constantly and for all things. But not because God needs reminding. We are the ones who need reminding, about who is in charge and who will care for us.

We are the anxious quivering puddles of worry and doubt. We are the ones constantly stressing out about what we will eat or wear. We are the ones who live in constant fear of catastrophe.

We pray to remind us that God is the God who feeds the sparrow and dresses the lilies of the field. We pray to turn our minds from the dark thoughts of fear and doubt to right thoughts about the God who loves us and cares for us.

We need not be anxious, for we have a God who cares for His own.

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