What does Jesus have to do with my Anxiety?

Let’s be honest, our world is an anxious world. 

Children, youth, adults and seniors alike experience some variation of anxiety - anywhere from occasional to life-altering. The sad reality is that most of us often lack peace and our day-to-day life is riddled with anxiety-related thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. The unknowns about our school programs, work, family relationships, romantic relationships, and future, thrust us into a hole of anxious thoughts that leave us feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, tired and just more anxious. This seemingly never-ending cycle can feel so difficult to interrupt and almost impossible to ditch for good, because the list of things that are outside of our control just keeps growing. 

However, for the believer, we must pause to consider how the truth of the gospel and the person of Jesus can successfully interrupt this anxious cycle in our lives. More than this, we must consider how He can give us peace amidst the chaos and unpredictability of our life and world. Indeed the antidote to anxiety is offered to you freely - all you need to do is believe in faith that it is yours.

Biblical Truths for the Anxious Heart 

Philippians 4:6-7: do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The simple yet sometimes difficult-to-actualize truth presented to us in Philippians 4 provides a two-part roadmap that God presents for us to battle against anxiety: (1) prayer and (2) thanksgiving.

Prayer

The beautiful and grace-filled reality for believers, is that you have ongoing and never-interrupted access to the creator of the universe in your time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). No matter the time, day, or season, the Lord’s ears are open to you to share exactly the things that are making you anxious. Potentially even more shocking is that the Bible tells us that he knows our need even before we ask (Matthew 6:8) and the Holy Spirit and Jesus himself, are interceding for us (Romans 8:26;34). 

When was the last time you went to the Lord in prayer and vulnerability, sharing with him openly the things that are stressing you out? Your kiddos that just won’t seem to listen, your teen who seems to be struggling in isolation, your grades that seem to be dropping, that job interview that you have next week, that bill that you do not have the money to pay for. Christian, God knows your needs before you ask of him, but he delights to receive your prayers and listens to you when you cry (Psalm 120:1) - so cry out to him!

Thanksgiving

Perhaps easily skipped over in this scripture in Phillipians is the importance of thanksgiving. Let’s read it again: 

Philippians 4:6: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

As Paul so clearly outlines, we let our requests be known to God, with thanksgiving - yes with gratitude! I have often heard it said, it's impossible to grumble and be grateful at the same time. I think the same is true with anxiety. A heart that is intentionally focused on what God has done, who he is, and what he has promised will find it very difficult to be anxious. 

Anxiety thrives when it focuses on the things that it cannot control and considers all the possible worst-case-scenario outcomes that can take place. However, when our eyes are fixed on all that God has said and done, we are reminded that a God who is loving, kind, gracious, merciful and holy, is in control of those very things that we are anxious about. This reality, along with the enumerable promises found in God's word, very quickly extinguishes our anxiety and ignites thanksgiving in our hearts. 

Let’s make it our aim to be like the psalmist who says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples” Psalm 77:11-14. 

The promise of peace 

The hope-filled equation that Paul presents in Philippians 4, ends with the promise of peace. We see this in verse 7: 

Philippians 4:6-7: do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The wonderful reality of the gospel is that we have access to a logic-defying peace that nothing and no one else but Jesus can give us. That’s right, we don’t just get peace, we get peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace that does not make sense. A peace that exists even when, by worldly standards, we truly do have reasons to be worried. We get the peace of God. We are promised a peace that is going to guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus; a peace that is going to interrupt that never-ending anxiety cycle; a peace that will help us ditch that cycle for good.  

Prayer + Thanksgiving = the Peace of God

In Philippians 4, we see a striking command of God to not be anxious. We see a simple roadmap to access his peace; prayer and thanksgiving. Will you come to the Lord in prayer by faith and ask him for his help? Will you cry out to him about the things that keep you up at night? Will you encourage your heart by recalling the deeds of the Lord, thereby making no provisions for anxiety to thrive?

Christian, the battle against anxiety is real. It’s daily. It's difficult. Sometimes you will fail and anxiety will win. But the beautiful truth that we cannot forget is that Jesus has given us the ultimate victory through his death and resurrection to say no to anxiety, to say yes to prayer and thanksgiving, and to believe by faith that we will receive the peace of God in our lives.

Run to him, keep your eyes on him, and believe that he is able.