Hope for Anxiety
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Have you experienced anxiety in the past few years? Dumb question right?
Years ago I had the opportunity to travel through Greece with some friends of mine. We landed in Athens late and almost immediately got lost in the hustle and bustle of the city. Lost and confused we ended up in a bad part of town. My friends saw our hostel and sprinted ahead—leaving me behind. I immediately knew something was wrong when I was surrounded by some locals.
As one grabbed the straps of my backpack the other started reaching into my back pockets to see if they could get my wallet. I broke free and felt a smack on the back of my head as I took off through the streets. Eventually, I ended up at the Hostel and reunited with my friends. Exhausted and emotionally drained, we collapsed into our room on the top floor. I opened my Bible and the first thing I read was this,
“Do not be anxious about anything…”
We are living in the age of anxiety. Everyone gets anxious at times and everyone gets anxious about something. I like the story of the little boy who was in the car with his dad and said, "Daddy, are you afraid of SPIDERS?" No.
"ROBBERS?" No.
"THUNDER?" No.
"Are you afraid of GHOSTS?" No.
The boy looked at Dad and said "Wow Then I Guess Mommy's The Only Thing You're Afraid Of!”
Everyone must deal with anxiety at some point. Recently my church has been going through a sermon series on Mental Health and we discussed a lot of practical steps we can do to overcome anxiety.
I believe that we must P.A.U.S.E. To give over our anxiety to God.
First, we Pray to God.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,”
When we become anxious—God’s word is clear—pray! Is prayer a last resort or a first response for you? If I’m honest, I find myself strategizing in my power in every situation. Doing practical problem-solving isn’t a bad step, but I believe God doesn’t want it to be our first step.
I believe a day will come when we stop playing with prayer and recognize it for the gift it is. We have a practice, a way, in which we can communicate by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, with our Heavenly Father.
Second, we Acknowledge Who God is
“…present your requests to God.”
Do you know how great your God is? Your problems are not small, and you probably don’t have control of them, if you did they wouldn’t be problems. But it's important to remember that we are bringing our requests to God. God your Father. I wrote on this last week, our identity as a Child of God, and adopted son of the king. You and I are to GOD.
Third, we Understand our Limits
“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding…”
This is why I like praying, "You are God and I am not. Your ways are higher than my ways." Even in the midst of debilitating anxiety, I may not be emotionally sound in that moment but my spirit is firm because of who lives in me. He is God. He is so much greater than I. His understanding is so much greater than my understanding.
Fourth, we Stand with God
“…Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Fly to the Cross and build your foundation on the truths God has revealed to us. When we put our trust in God we recognize that His ways are higher and greater than our ways. This will build in us a peace that guards our hearts and minds.
Finally, we Embrace God’s Word
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Incredibly, God is speaking to us. If you want to hear from God I have good news for you, you can! You can hear Him through His written Word. You can hear Him through the sound testimony of other believers. You can hear Him through the Holy Spirit who lives in you. What you’ll hear is things like, “Do not be afraid” and “Do not be discouraged”. Why?
Because no matter how emotionally unstable I was from that anxiety, my spirit was firm because of Him who lives in me. God secures me, despite me. Anxiety may stay with us for the rest of our days, but it will not follow us into eternity. So, cast your anxieties upon Him who loves you, for He has withheld nothing from us, not even His only begotten son. God loves you and cares deeply for you and is near to the brokenhearted.
