The words “do not be” appear before the word “anxious” a handful of times in the Bible. The word worry or anxious actually means a divided mind. You may want to trust God in an area of your life, but anxiety pulls you the other direction. You have been given significant responsibilities to carry out, but anxiety impedes and paralyzes your progress. Anxiety is not only a soul-killer, it also kills the body slowly over time, affecting nearly every major organ and system in the body whether it be heart disease, immune dysfunction or depression. It holds us captive and it brings about a slow, grueling death.
It’s connected to fear… fear of the wrong things. It is ultimately a faith-deteriorating sin in our lives that must be conquered through ongoing repentance. And repentance always leads to freedom. Consider how the Scriptures address anxiety:
“Be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4), do not be worried about your life…” (Matthew 6), “Cast your cares upon Him” (1 Peter 5). When David was afraid he put his trust in the Lord (Psalm 56). Jesus told his disciples to come to him when they carried heavy hearts, for he would give them rest (Matthew 11). We can trust that God works all things together for good, even when things appear to be crumbling (Romans 8). We’re told not to put our hope in princes (government authorities in our day) for kingdoms change and mortal man’s plans fail (Psalm 146). We’re instructed to be strong and courageous in the face of obstacles for God goes with you (Deuteronomy 31). We learn that fearing man is a snare, but trusting in the Lord leads to our exaltation (Proverbs 29). We know that life, though wonderful and confoundingly amazing and beautiful in so many ways, is full of tears and pain and disappointment and death. It rightfully causes us to ask the deep questions about life… and if we pay attention we can learn that for those attached to Christ’s life, death and resurrection by faith, all the bad parts will be swallowed up in the end and all the good parts will be amplified (Revelation 21).
So when our hearts trouble us, and they will, grasp ahold of the truth that Jesus has overcome the world. Take practical steps to grasp these truths – acknowledge to yourself that your anxiety is sinful and resolve to cut it out and begin sowing in seeds of faith in God and his sovereign care, leading to a harvest of peace, joy and wholeness. Set aside time daily to pray to the Lord, acknowledging any ongoing sin before him, asking for forgiveness and his strength working in you to overcome it, through the Holy Spirit (Philippians 4, Romans 8), and thanking him for any progress. Finally, meditate on specific passages and memorize verses and portions of Scripture that will renew your mind and that you can recall when anxiety creeps in. The Psalms are wonderful for this – Psalm 3, 25, 56 and many others – explore and mine their riches. Declare his goodness and let your heart be filled as you do. As you find anxiety being bulldozed out of your heart and a new foundation of peace and joy replacing it, give him thanks and tell others of his Son, who came to set the captives free.
Wrecked & Revived 