‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 4:6-7
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (AADA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US. It affects over 40 million adults (19% of the population) age 18 and older every year.
Also, according to the AADA, anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
I experienced anxiety right after high school. It was probably one of the scariest things that I had to deal with in my life. I was fortunate to have loving people who helped me get the help I needed to deal with the anxiety.
When I stepped back from the fear I was experiencing, I learned that I was trying to fight and figure out every battle I would face in the future.
When this happened, I was familiar with the Bible and would have called myself a Christian, but I wasn’t armed with God’s Word to fight this battle.
In this writing, I will tackle this subject from a Christian perspective. I will also draw on some ideas from a recent sermon by Jared Darby from my church, CrossPoint Church, in Niceville, FL.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ‘ Philippians 4:4-5
Before we get into the key verse for this writing, I want to rewind to the verse right before it. It says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
The definition of “rejoice” is to “feel or show great joy or delight.”
Without the Holy Spirit from God centered in our hearts, the total of our lives will mean nothing. But God doesn’t leave us there when we accept His grace through Jesus Christ. And His love evens provides “common” grace; this grace is for everyone on earth but doesn’t promise fellowship with Him forever.
“John, why did you write the previous paragraph? I thought we were talking about anxiety?”
I include that paragraph because this is the Biblical solution to anxiety. Some ideas that will be discussed can help those who don’t believe, so I mention the concept of “common” grace. It aligns my desire with God’s, and that is that everyone receives the grace that He provides through Jesus Christ.
So let’s follow the flow; Paul writes that we “Rejoice in the Lord always.” When we rejoice in the Lord, we realize He is the source of everything we need. It’s effortless to get distracted by this world. We live in a world system that tells us the resources available are “scarce.”
In other words, there isn’t enough fuel, food, jobs, etc.
Think back to when Covid happened; I remember seeing empty shelves in the grocery stores. I fed into the idea of “stocking” up. But God has a funny way of dealing with us through scripture; as I shifted my thinking to scarcity, He presented the feeding of the 4,000 and five thousand in my reading. He had me examine my review on the stocking up.
It wasn’t the empty shelves that I needed to focus on; it was the ability of my God to supply what I needed. And He can take small amounts and make them enough to feed the multitudes and have more after everyone has had their fill.
My wife and I didn’t go to the grocery store for a month unless we needed fresh fruits and vegetables or meat and fish.
‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ‘ Hebrews 11:1-3
Step #1 – “Rejoice in the Lord.” Understand that the Lord supplies all of our needs. And His promise is that “He will never leave and forsake us.”
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation…”
I will admit that there are times when I try to solve problems before they arise, which is a form of fearing the future. From today’s sermon, Jared reminded us, “Anxiety is not a sin. It is a signal.”
A key here is that when we recognize that we feel this way, we need to slow down and start to breathe. Examine the present. Some questions to consider:
- Am I breathing? When I suffered from anxiety, I could feel my heart racing, and I was breathing fast. It was shallow breathing, but my lungs were still getting oxygen. The nun who helped me with this told me to slow down and take deep breaths. What I found was that this would also help slow down my heart.
- Am I in imminent danger? Is my life in danger? This may sound silly, but it brings us back to the present. When we take command of our breath, the pounding heart and the swimming feeling in our heads will start to subside.
Anxiety is fear-based. When we know that we are not in any imminent danger, we can start to respond logically.
Step 2 – “Pray and petition” Bring the situation and your fear before the Lord. We may have difficulty with getting what we feel out in words. This is why it is crucial to have faith in the Lord.
‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. ‘ Romans 8:26-27
The wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit will do what we may not be able to do. This is a gift that the Lord provides with benefits beyond measure.
When we slow down and pray to God, we submit our will before Him.
‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ‘ Romans 8:28
When we feel that “we” have to solve all our problems and concerns, we leave out the only person who truly has the power to do this: God. And when we feel we must solve them all now, that creates anxiety.
Step 3 – With thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The definition of “thanksgiving” is the expression of “gratitude,” especially towards God. The definition of “gratitude” is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation.
God’s grace is as close as our next breath. This is a starting point for our thanksgiving.
“Lord, I am thankful for the oxygen You provide.”
I have boiled down my request to God to be: “Lord, what is it about this situation that You need me to adjust my thinking about it to be in Your will?”
I realize that when I ask God to change the situation or circumstance, I ask Him to change. The Lord will allow us to be in situations that challenge us for several reasons:
- To see where we go with the problem
- To shape our thinking and actions to be more Christ-like
Jesus was God in a human body, and He suffered anxiety.
Anxiety, by definition, is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. Let’s go to the record of the situation:
‘He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” ‘ Mark 14:33-34
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like an anxious moment for our Savior. It says that “he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.” He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”
‘Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” ‘ Mark 14:35-36
Jesus was the example that Paul wrote his solution for anxiety around. Let’s break it down:
Rejoice in the Lord – Everything that Jesus did was a reflection of His Father. His name covers this part.
Prayer and Petition – “he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.”
With thankgiving, present your request to God – “Abba, Father everything is possible for you.”(Gratitude), “Take this cup from me.” (Request)
It’s vital to notice this point here: Jesus asked God to change this situation. He was on His way to being beaten beyond the point of recognition. He was on His way to the cross, which was, at the time, the most torturous manner of death.
And if that weren’t enough, He would shoulder the punishment for every sin committed to that time and every sin committed until He returns to judge this world in the future.
‘He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. ‘ 1 John 2:2
Jesus concluded with this point:
“Yet not what I will, but what you will.“
As you read the rest of the account of the crucifixion of our Lord, you will find that He had peace about Himself, through the rest of it.
Here’s the promise that is unique to the believer for submitting to what the Lord asks us to do about our anxiety:
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Heavenly Father, Thank You.
I pray that You provide us the strength to face the challenges that You allow in our lives with the steadfast courage of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I pray that in times of anxiety, You remind us that You are there for us to turn to.
I pray that You give us the strength to lay down our strongholds before our Lord and Savior.
I pray that You give us the strength to change our thinking to Your will to may us more Christ-like.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
