Anxiety is worry, unease, fret, fear, or panic. Anxiety comes from haste and lack of composure. When we fashion our lives without God or his direction, we are bound to be anxious. We must always remember that we are not in control of life or any situation without the owner. We face anxiety when we doubt God’s promise, his ability, his willingness to intervene, or his timing when we call on him.
Biblical prescription against anxiety
Jesus answered the issues of anxiety in Matthew 6: 25-34; Luke 12: 22-31.
We must avoid worrying
Jesus said in Matthew 6: 25 therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? To Jesus, we worry about the wrong things. Rather we should focus on Jesus. He says life is not bodily needs but pleasing God.
Know that God will provide
Jesus says God is the provider of our needs in Matthew 6: 26 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? God will provide because he knows our needs as people of value to him. God knows our incapacity in every respect and assures us that he will provide if we depend on him as our Father.
Anxiety produces no solutions
Jesus talked about the unproductive nature of worrying. He said in Matthew 6: 27 can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? We must not focus on what is not beneficial or cannot change our situation. Worrying does not add to our lives but destroys it. The more we get anxious, the worse we break down. What is not productive is not worth considering.
God knows our needs before hand
Jesus gave examples of how God provides. He said in Matthew 6: 28-29… 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 considered like one of these. God provides for all his creation. He also glorifies the insignificant and lowly who depend on him as lilies and grass depends on nature. God knows the purpose for creating us and will surely adorn us with grace and his glory.
Our circumstance is not relevant
Our nature or the time is not material to God. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? How long we are destined to live, or how we would be regarded in future is no consideration for God’s intervention. God cures our anxiety based on his grace and purpose for our lives. What we need is faith and trust in him to accomplish his purpose.
We must appreciate God’s nature
Lack of knowledge about God builds anxiety. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 31-32… your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. In a true relationship with God, we will know who he is, his nature of faithfulness and when God will accede to our needs in his sovereign will. His promise is subject to his own will and he is committed to his unfailing promise in his word. He said in Matthew 6: 33 strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. In other words, being anxious is not righteous but God demands righteousness. The righteous appreciate God.
We must live a day at a time
Jesus said in Matthew 6: 34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. In other words, tomorrow is not certain so we must make the best of each day. Tomorrow may come with its own surprises. If we should nurse any worries, it must be that we have not done enough for Christ Jesus. Have we done enough for Jesus today?
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we are slaves to anxiety out of our own deeds. Please grant us your peace and free us from worrying. Open our understanding to your word and give us the grace to trust you more. Heal our anxious moments with your eternal peace. Deepen our trust in you in all circumstances for you are our savior and redeemer. We pray in your holy name, Amen!!
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