Change and Anxiety

As I was wondering what to write about for this week, I talked to my sister and she suggested I explore the relationship between the coming changes in my life and the anxiety I’ve been feeling. All I came up with, at first, was that I’m not supposed to have anxiety because I believe in and trust God. There are several familiar passages of Scripture that address worrying and what we should do about the things we worry about. So, this article won’t, probably, cover new ground, but maybe it can be a good reminder to all of us – especially me.

Matthew 6:27 [NASB] says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span?” The implied answer is “No one.” Ultimately, God is in control of the length of our lives. Worrying about the future, or the past, cannot add any time to the number of days we have on this earth. In Matthew 6:32, Jesus answers the question for us: “. . . for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” What should our response be? Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” There’s another admonishment in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself . . .” God knows what we need and no amount of worry will cause our needs to be met, or met any faster/sooner.

Another familiar passage is found in Philippians 4:6, 7: “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, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The challenge: Be anxious for nothing. How do we do that? By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. I sometimes think I’m bugging God with my petty concerns; however, this passage tells me to tell God what I think I need or want and then rest knowing that God will take care of whatever situation I’m worried about. I think I’ve done that once or twice in my life and I have, as a result, experienced peace from God – even in situations where other people thought I should still be anxious. It’s a peace that surpasses man’s understanding.

A final passage that comes to mind when I think about being anxious (not necessarily while I’m being anxious, though) is 1 Peter 5:7. “casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” I liked the note in my Ryrie study Bible for the phrase, “He cares for you.” It says, “it matters to Him concerning you.” I matter to God! And because I matter to God, I can put all my anxious thoughts and worries on His shoulders, knowing that He will meet my needs and give me peace. It takes resolve on my part. I have to do the casting of the anxieties. But He will handle them, because my concerns matter to God.

Reviewing those passages has brought me some peace today. Not only is His peace hard (impossible) for me to comprehend, but His concern and care for me is also beyond my imagination. But both are true. As I try to believe today, I will let God’s peace fall on me and let the anxieties go.