As I said in last week’s introduction, almost everyone has battled this powerful emotion at one time or another. It may have included full-blown panic attacks or something much milder. But whatever it looked like, you have probably experienced some form of anxiety.

Since I frequently counsel women who are smuggling with this issue, I thought I would go through some of the lessons I share in counseling.

Last week, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. This week we’re going to look at the first of two very important passages on the subject.

Today you will, also, find links to the previous week’s other posts. They have covered a variety of topics including the answer for grumbling and complaining, hope, abortion, puzzling Bible passages, and much more.

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Part 2 – Worship & God’s Kingdom

Last Week

Last week, I said that the New Testament uses two related words to describe anxiety. The noun merimna which is usually translated “care” and the verb merizo which means to draw in different directions or distract. Paul Tautges defined it as having “a distracting care – to have our minds and hearts torn between two worlds.” It’s usually translated worry, anxious, anxiety, or care.

Do Not Be Anxious

Jesus was very straightforward about anxiety. In Matthew 6, part of the Sermon on the Mount, He said:

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (emphasis mine)

That sounds easy enough, “do not be anxious,” but it turns out it’s often not. So, how do we get from here to there?

Anxiety Not for the Birds

Let’s look at the rest of that passage 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? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ 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? 

• What examples does Jesus give us for God’s care? 
• What does verse 26 tell us about how that relates to us?

³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

When Jesus talked about Gentiles, He was referring to unbelievers. Unbelievers have no basis on which to trust God. It’s impossible to have true peace and trust in our circumstances unless we first have peace with God. But it should be different for those who have trusted Him for salvation and can call Him Father.

• Look at the last phrase of verse 30, “O you of little faith?” If God cares more for us than the birds of the air and He already knows what we need (v. 32), what should our heart’s respond be instead of “little faith”?

An Act of Worship

Fear, worry, and anxiety are really worship disorders. When we worry and become anxious, we shift our focus from God and His provision to the things of this world.  Yet, Jesus went on:

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Let’s think deeper about each phrase of that verse.

• “Seek first the kingdom of God.” To seek first the kingdom of God is to live as if God is King. The human heart has only enough room for one throne. Who or what is on the throne of your heart? Is it God?
• Or is it food, shelter, clothing? Is it getting a better job or keeping the one you have? Is it your health or the health of your marriage? Or is it something else? What is ruling your thoughts and desires? 
• What would it be like to have God as King in every area of life? What would look different in your life?

The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5, 6, 7) was Jesus’ first public sermon. If He is King, we could say, it was His inaugural address. Or as my husband likes to say, Jesus was telling us what life is like in His kingdom.

Look back at first 33. The second phrase tells us we are to seek His righteousness, His right way of living. That is to put Him first place in our lives. It’s to obey all of His commands. And it means knowing His character and with His help seeking to grow in the likeness of Christ.

When we do, imperfectly thought it may be, we will grow in faith, the ability to believe that “all these things will be added to you.” 

Anxiety Over the Future

Jesus sums up the section this way:

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Anxiety over the future keeps our eyes on the horizontal (our circumstances and our ability to control them), rather than on the vertical, looking to God and trusting Him. It, also, keeps us from fulfilling today’s responsibilities well as we put our energy into fretting and worrying about all the “what if’s.”

When we’re walking by faith, we may still have concerns. But we understand that we can pray and ask for God’s wisdom and help. We can step out in faith, walking in the light that we have, and following His precepts. We can obediently fulfill the responsibilities He has given us, and leave the future in His loving capable hands. 

Share your insights in the comments section so others can benefit.

Next week, we’ll talk about Paul’s instructions in Philippians 4, the second of two great passages on fear, worry, and anxiety. Sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss it.

Homework

I know homework can be a dirty word to some. But we grow as we apply the things of God to our everyday lives (Jas. 1.22-25). I believe you will get more out of these studies if you do the homework. But that’s your call.

Suggested Homework:

• Get a journal or notebook to use with this study, if you haven’t already.
• Journal your answers to the questions in this study.
• Meditate on Matthew 6.25-34.
• Make a list of all the things that tempt you to be anxious. Pray about each item. Ask God to show you which are your responsibilities and which ones you need to give to Him.
• Write a paragraph summarizing what you learned. If necessary, write out a prayer of confession.

Now I hope you’ll check out last week’s other posts below.

The Most Read Post

Last week’s most read post along with a little preview:

“How to Examine Your Spiritual Health”

January is over and many of us will be thinking about the goals and resolutions we made just a few weeks ago. We’ll examine our progress (or lack of it) concerning a new diet, exercise plan or some other goal. This post talks about the importance of not failing to examine the most important thing, our spiritual health.

Other Posts:

Here are last week’s other posts:

“Understanding Puzzling Bible Passages”

“Feel Like You Need CliffsNotes for the Bible?”

“Abortion, What God Hates & Our Only Hope”

“The Ultimate Answer to Our Grumbling & Complaining”

“One of the Most Important Parenting Principles”

“It’s Not Fair!”

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – New Bible Study Part 1

I hope you’ll check out a couple.

In the coming days, we’ll talk about religious pretenders, how to shine the light of Christ, how some of us might be trying to make minimum payments on sin when the debt has been paid, sheep and goats in the church, and what it really means to be a friend of God.

Sign up for my daily emails so you don’t miss any of them.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.

Do you ever struggle with prayer? Do you sometimes feel it’s just one more thing on your to-do list or that you don’t measure up in this area? Me, too, but these are some of the strategies that I’ve learned through the years that have helped me have a more consistent and meaningful prayer life.