i fear nothing...but anxious about everything

I fear nothing....but am anxious about everything....

Having fear is healthy and often keeps us from getting hurt, or worse. It is how the mind reacts faster than our ability to think about it, so our body then reacts to the situation. When you walk into a room and there is a snarling dog, your mind will tell your body to react fast so you avoid being hurt.

I fear driving on icy roads, but I have to and it helps me to prepare better and drive more cautiously. Reasonable. But what about anxiety? Anxiety is real, and in some cases can be debilitating. It can freeze us. It can cause our body to become stressed and even lead to illness. Anxiety is when our fear prevents us from taking action because we believe the worse of our fears will be realized. For instance, I could be so anxious about driving on icy roads that I simply never travel when it’s icy out.

Let me say it again, anxiety is real. It happens to all of us. It should not be discounted or regarded as silly. What does scripture say to us about it? In Philippians, we are told:

“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.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NASB‬‬

I’ll tell you, especially if you have kids, this is not easy at all. When your first child starts to drive, you can’t help but go to your worse fears! But what is the Lord telling us here? Is He really saying you will not have anxiety? Well, yes, but is not a stand-alone statement, look what it is followed with. Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be known to God. He will help us. He will provide peace.

I think though sometimes we treat this like some sort of magical transformation. We pray and God will just wipe it away, done, no more anxiety. There are certainly cases where God can step in and do this. I’ve had moments of shear stress due to waiting for a medical test for a child, prayed and had peace in that moment. But what about those things that bring us constant anxiety?

Jesus told us we were not going to be alone. The Holy Spirit is with us at all times. But what happens when my anxiety becomes crippling? What happens when it is recurring and irrational (and sometimes we even know it)? Enter church. Enter our brothers and sisters in Christ. There are many times when I’ve had something going on in my life that brings some anxiousness and I share this with a brother. In so many cases, they have shared their own times when they dealt with something and how they got through it. Sometimes hearing a perspective outside your storm helps you see the storm is not as large as you thought.

What if that doesn’t work? God has blessed individuals in our world with the gifts of counseling. If anxiety grips you, there is zero shame in getting counseling. If I break my arm, I go to the ER. A broken arm is often not complex, but I can’t treat it myself so I go to the ER to have a professional to have them treat it. The human mind is far more complex than a bone in my arm, so why would I think I can diagnose and treat it myself? Find somebody to help. Sometimes just saying it out loud to someone is a great first step.

We are to be anxious about nothing, but He also knows we will be. He gives us a community to be loved and accepted for who we are; fear, anxiety, joy and all. He also gives people gifts to “treat” our minds. In that, along with prayer, will help us grow closer to Him, reducing those anxieties.

To close, think about Jesus in the garden. He was so anxious, He was sweating blood. He asked more than once to have the cup taken, but ultimately He found peace in what He faced. We are meant to get to that point as we grow in our relationship with Him. Until then, use what He has provided to help us through those anxious times.

Peace that is beyond understanding to each of you my brothers and sisters.