A Cure for Anxiety
A Cure for Anxiety
This past Friday morning, I woke up worrying.
Worrying about things that have already gone wrong…
Worrying about things that could go wrong in the future…
“Dear Jesus…”
The silent prayer had already begun to flow before I’d even made a conscious decision to pray, and I was midway through my supplication before I’d even realized that I was praying.
“I’m so anxious right now. I feel overwhelmed. It seems like everything that can go wrong either already has or will… and I can’t do a thing to stop it… I feel so helpless.”
Helpless. That’s exactly where I was, and it was exactly where I needed to find myself.
As I prayed, I realized that, for the things that had already gone wrong, there was nothing I could do to change what had happened. All I could do, at that point, was acknowledge those things, give them over to God, and choose how to move forward.
For the things that still could go wrong, but hadn’t yet — those things were outside of my control, and worrying about them wouldn’t change anything except by robbing me of my mental and emotional peace. (And consequently, worrying would make me more likely to create an anxious environment in the space around me, causing others in my life to suffer the effects as well.)
Whatever would be, would be. Accepting that would go along way.
So what was the point of praying about my problems or my concerns?
Coming to God in prayer was an opportunity for me to acknowledge that, though there were (and still are) things in my life outside of my control, nothing is ever outside of God’s control. Remembering this truth brings comfort and peace.
It was an opportunity for me to admit that I was struggling with these things, and for me to receive the grace and help I needed (and still need) from the God who supplies all of my needs; because His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).
And it was an opportunity for me to remember the words of Jesus, and to take Him at His word:
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Jesus (Matthew 6:25-34, CSB)
As I prayed, I noticed a shift in my mindset and in my emotions. My problems (or potential problems) were still real, but my worry was being displaced, and it was being replaced with a sense of peace.
I know there’s nothing sacred about the subtitles that men have added to Bible passages, but I love the one that was chosen for Matthew 6:25-34 (above) in the Christian Standard Bible, because I think it perfectly sums it up: “The Cure for Anxiety.”
To be clear, I’m not referring, in this blog post, to the kind of anxiety that’s irrational or wholly emotional, or the result of a chemical imbalance in the human body or brain, or of a mental disorder. I do believe there is an important distinction to be made, because there are some forms of anxiety that are different and should be talked about and handled in other ways — even for those of us who are faith-filled, Bible-believing Christians.
The kind of anxiety that I was experiencing, though, and that I’m writing about here, is anxiety that’s the result of choosing to fixate on unsolvable problems in our lives as if they can be solved if we simply dwell on them long enough. This kind of anxiety is less about a feeling (although it certainly involves anxious feelings), and more about a behavior. It’s the kind of anxiety that’s synonymous with — or perhaps caused by — worry.
And for this sort of anxiety, there is a very simple cure:
Entrusting our lives to God, and believing that He will take care of us.
That’s why the Apostle Paul gave us this exhortation with a promise:
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7, CSB
Bringing our problems, our worries, and our concerns to God in prayer won’t necessarily cause those things to go away. But it will put us in a posture where, with God, we can face those things with a kind of peace that this world cannot replicate or explain!
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