When Anxiety & Worry Consume You

Commentary

Everybody at some point experiences anxious thoughts, while some people have disorders which lead them to experience anxious thoughts on a daily basis. Modern life seems to even increase our propensity to be triggered into unnecessary worry. While there is a natural inclination for experiencing such things, and for some, a genuine mental illness, we can know that Satan is also at the root of many of the influences which trigger events and situations that lead us to worry and become fearful.

It’s healthy to have concerns and to care deeply about something. But worry can become all-consuming and can affect your walk with the Lord, and not only that, it can make you physically sick. God did not create us to take on every concern and situation under our own power, because frankly, we are unable to muster up the strength or wisdom on our own to do so.

Commentary

When anxious thoughts start to take root in your mind, they can grow rapidly — as a vine that quickly chokes out all of your peace. It’s easy to forget that the Lord is with you when you’ve allowed your mind to be overwhelmed by the worries of life. The world around us is under demonic influence, and the tyranny that wicked people seek is a driving force behind their peddling of fear and anxiety-inducing propaganda. Satan will use such wicked people to bring utter despair to anyone who he can influence, even Christians, if we allow such things to consume our thoughts.

This is when you must remember Jesus’ words in the above passage. He wants you to understand that He takes care of His creation; those birds you see lack much of the intelligence and ability that God has blessed us with as humans. Yet He provides for them each and every day so that they may flourish and not die off.

The most important point that Jesus makes is that we are so much more valuable to Him than those birds whom He lovingly provides for. You are in the palm of His hand, and when you’re walking with Him, He will make sure you’re never in need. It doesn’t matter what the experts are saying, what the doctors are saying, or what the media is saying, and so on; because our peace comes from the joy that God has placed inside our inner being as believers. Understand that worry doesn’t improve your life in any way; in fact, it might actually shorten your life.

Today, if you’re struggling with anxious thoughts, take some time and pray to ask Him to take your worries from you, then meditate on all of the wonderful blessings that God has brought into your life.

Commentary

This world places an incredible amount of emphasis on outward appearance. For many, those picture-perfect depictions of fitness and fashion or the standards of peers can trigger anxious thoughts and unnecessary worry. We can find ourselves consumed by thoughts that really aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things. That overwhelming focus on the unimportant details of life can render us almost useless when it comes to being an effective witness for the Lord. What message does it send to an unbeliever, if as a believer, you are worried about such things to the point of constant anxiety or worse, all-consuming obsession?

Jesus doesn’t care about outward appearance; it’s your heart that He is most concerned with. Those of us who have a heart for Him can rest in knowing that come feast or famine, calm or chaos, He will be there to take care of our every need. The beauty of a Christian isn’t in the clothes we wear, in the fitness of our bodies, or what we have; it’s in the Holy Spirit-driven transformation that is taking place inside our inner being.

King David wrote in Psalm 37:

Commentary

If you’re listening to Jesus’ words, then you know that there is no point in worrying about the things of life. You can’t worry that you might get sick, you can’t worry about having food or clothes, and so on. Because if you’re truly seeking the Lord, He will make sure every other need is taken care of.

The reality is, each day will hold minor struggles and at times major situations as well. You have only the capacity to focus on this current day. You’re not even promised to see tomorrow, and by worrying about what tomorrow might bring, you have lost your chance to enjoy the blessings that God has given you today. When anxious thoughts arise, make an effort to give the Lord all of your cares and worries — drawing from His strength and joy for the ability to find your peace.

Jesus never promised that life would be perfect for His followers, but He did promise to be with us through it all. I want to leave you with some of His words of comfort.