Anxiety plagues many of us, some without even realizing it. I don’t sit around biting my nails over anything, but if I think about it there are a few things stewing on the back burner that I try not to think about. However, stuffing or ignoring them is no more successful than endlessly worrying about them. It doesn’t make us less anxious about them, nor does it solve the problem in any way. It just makes us less aware of them. What do we do with the things that cause concern?
Philippians 4:6-7 New American Standard Bible 1995
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:31-33 New American Standard Bible 1995
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 New American Standard Bible 1995
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 New American Standard Bible 1995
in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Worry is a destructive thing. It steals our joy and peace without accomplishing anything good. It may make us feel like we are very caring about whatever it is that concerns us, but in truth it means that we are trying to be in control, rather than trusting the One who truly is in control. We worry because there is a problem that we can’t fix, but we aren’t willing to take it to the One who can. Ultimately it is selfish and fearful, but God has not given us a spirit of fear. That means that anxiety is not of God but of the enemy, so it is something we should fight just like we do every other temptation.
The question then is how do we fight it. Prayer is the first step. We need to take what is bothering us to God. We need to talk to Him about the problem and then trust Him to take care of it. We need to put it in His hands and then leave it there without trying to take it back from Him. Practically speaking, that means that every time we are tempted to worry about it, we make ourselves give it back to God or remind ourselves that He has it and it is not our problem any more. He is far better at dealing with it than we are anyway.
The next step is just as vital, but often overlooked: thanksgiving. This part seems counterintuitive. If something is bothering us, causing us to worry, there probably isn’t much to be thankful for, yet we are commanded to give thanks in it. However, the very fact that it is contrary means that is the very thing we need to make us not worry. We need the opposite of worry and that is thanksgiving. We need to thank God for that issue because that is where God has us and if we trust Him He will make good come from it. We can also be thankful for what God will do through it, ways that we can already see His hand working.
In your prayer time this week, write down everything that is making you anxious, big and small. Thank God for these things because He has a plan and will bring about good from them. Then ask Him to help you see what He is doing in them already and to be aware of His hand throughout the situation. Give the situation to God and leave it in His hands, resting in the knowledge that He is sovereign, all knowing and completely good. If this is hard for you, ask God to help you trust Him, to give you a peaceful, grateful heart. Going through this process will build your faith and trust in God, as well as building a spirit of peace and joy within you.
Prayer points taken from Praying Through Adversity by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.
